UTAH  AND  THE  MORMONS. 


SPEEC 


HON.  JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH, 


OF    NKVADA, 


ON  THE 


ADMISSION  OP  UTAH  AS  A  STATE. 


DELIVERED  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  FEBRUARY  7, 


826 

f*     O   Q  U   TONVKIiS  A   CO.,   1MMNTERS. 


WASHINGTON: 


UTAH:  A.;NT>  THE 


'        SPEECH 

OF 

HOE  JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH, 


OF    NEVADA, 


ADMISSION  OF  UTAH  AS  A  STATE. 


DELIVEEED  IN  THE  HOUSE  OP  EEPEESENTATIVES,  FEBEUAEY  7,  1,863. 

Mr.  CHAIRMAN  :  Having  resided  for  some  time  among  the  Mormons, 
become  acquainted  with  their  eclesiastical  polity,  their  habits  and 
their  crimes,  I  feel  that  I  would  not  be  discharging  my  duty,  if  I 
failed  to  impart  such  information  as  I  have  acquired,  in  regard  to  this 
people  in  our  midst  who  are  building  up,  consolidating  and  daringly 
carrying  out  a  system,  subversive  of  the  Constitution  and  laws,  and 
fatal  to  morals  and  true  religion. 

The  remoteness  of  Utah  from  the  settled  regions  of  our  country, 
and  the  absence  of  any  general  intercourse  between  the  Mormons  and 
the  masses  of  our  people  have  served  to  keep  the  latter  in  almost  com- 
plete ignorance  of  the  character  and  designs  of  the  former.  That 
ignorance,  pardonable  at  first,  becomes  criminal  when  the  avenues  to 
a  full  knowledge  are  open  to  us. 

Mormonism  is  one  of  the  monstrosities  of  the  age  in  which  we  live. 
It  seems  to  have  been  left  for  the  model  republic  of  the  w'orld,  for  the 
nineteenth  century,  when  the  light  of  knowledge  is  more  generally 
diffused  than  ever  before,  when  in  art:  science  and  philosophy,  we  have 
surpassed  all  that  ages  of  the  past-can  show,  to  produce  an  idle,  worth- 
less vagabond  of  an  impostor,  wbo  heralds  forth  a  creed  repulsive  to  every 
refined  mind,  opposed  to  every  generous  impulse  of  the  human  heart, 
and  a  faith  which  commands  a  violation  of  the  rights  of  hospitality  ; 
sanctifies  falsehood  ;  enforces  the  systematic  degredation  of  woman ; 
not  only  permits,  but  orders,  the  commission  of  the  vilest  lusts,  in  the 
name  of  the  Almighty  God  himself,  and  teaches  that  it  is  a  sacred 
duty  to  commit  the  crimes  of  theft  and  murder.  It  is  surprising  that 
such  faith  taught,  too,  in  the  coarsest  and  most  vulgar  way,  should 
meet  with  any  success.  Yet,  in  less  than  a  third  of  a  century,  it  girdles 
the  globe.  Its  Missionaries  are  planted  in  every  place.  You  find 
them  all  over  Europe,  thick  through  England  and  Wales,  traversing 


2 

Asia  and  Africa,  and  braving  the  billows  of  the  southern  oceans  to  seek 
proselytes.  And,  as  if  to  crown  its  achievements,  it  establishes  itself 
in  the  heart  of  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  powerful  governments  of 
the  world  ;  establishes  therein  a  theocratic  government  overriding  all 
other  government ;  putting  the  laws  at  defiance,  and  now  seeks  to 
consummate  and  perpetuate  itself  by  acquiring  a  state  sovereignty  and 
by  being  placed  on  an  equality  with  the  other  States  of  the  Union. 

Mormonism  is  in  part  a  conglomeration  of  illy  cemented  creeds  from 
other  religions  and  in  part  founded  upon  the  excentric  production  of 
one,  Spaulding,  who,  having  failed  as  a  preacher  and  shopkeeper, 
undertook  to  write  a  historical  novel.  He  had  a  smattering  of  Bibli- 
cal knowledge,  and  chose,  for  his  subject,  "the  history  of  the  lost  tribes 
of  Israel."  The  whole  was  supposed  to  be  communicated  by  the 
Indians,  and  the  last  of  the  series  was  named,  Mormon,  representing 
that  he  had  buried  the  book.  It  was  a  dull,  tedious,  interminable 
volume,  marked  by  ignorance  and  folly.  The  work  was  so  flat,  stupid 
and  insipid  that  no  publisher  could  be  induced  to  bring  it  before  the 
world.  Poor  Spaulding  at  length  went  to  his  grave,  and  the  manu- 
.script  remained  a  neglected  roll  in  the  ppssession  of  his  widow. 

Then  arose  Joe  Smith,  more  ready  to  live  by  his  wits  than  the  labor 
of  his  hands.  Smith  had,  early  in  life,  manifested  a  turn  for  pious 
frauds.  He  had  figured  in  several  wrestling  matches  with  the  devil, 
and  had  been  conspicuous  in  giving  in  eventful  experiences  in  religion 
,at  certain  revivals.  He  announced  that  he  had  dug  up  the  book  of 
Mormon  which  taught  the  true  religion  5  this  was  none  other  than 
poor  Spauldings  manuscript  which  he  had  purloined  from  the  widow. 
In  his  hands,  the  manuscript  become  the  basis  of  Mormonism.  Joe 
became  a  prophet ;  the  founder  of  a  religious  sect ;  the  president  of 
a  swindling  bank ;  the  builder  of  the  city  of  jSTauvoo ;  Mayor  of  the 
city ;  General  of  the  armies  of  Israel ;  candidate  for  President  of  the 
United  States,  and,  finally,  a  Martyr,  as  the  saints  choose  to  call  him. 
•But  the  truth  is  that  his  villainies,  together  with  the  villainies  of  his 
followers,  brought  down  upon  him  the  just  vengeance  of  the  people 
of  Illinois  and  Missouri,  a-nd  his  career  was  brought  to  an  end  by  his 
being  shot  while  confined  in  jail,  in  Carthage.  It  was  unfortu- 
nate that  such  was  his  end,  for  his  followers  raised  the  old  cry  of 
Martyrdom  and  persecution,  and,  as  has  always  proved,  "  the  blood  of 
the  martyr  was  the  seejd  of  the  church." 

Mormonism  repudiates  the  celibacy  imposed  by  the  Catholic  reli- 
gion upon  its  priesthood,  and  takes  in  its  stead  the  voluptuous  impo- 
sitions of  the  Mahomedan  church.  It  preaches  openly  that  the  more 
wives  and  children  its  men  have  in  this  world,  the  purer,  more  influ- 
ential, and  conspicuous  will  they  be  in  the  next;  that  wives,  children, 


and  property  will  not  only  be  restored,  but  doubled  in  the  resurrec- 
tion. It  adopts  the  use  of  prayers  for  the  dead  and  baptism  as  a  part 
of  its  creed.  Mormons  claim  to  be  favored  with  marvelous  gifts — the 
power  of  speaking  in  tongues,  of  casting  out  devils,  of  curing  the  sick, 
and  of  healing  the  lame  and  the  halt — they  claim  that  they  have  a 
living  prophet,  seer,  and  revelator  who  holds  the  keys  of  the  kingdom 
of  Heaven,  and' through  whose  intercession  alone  access  can  be  h&d. 
They  recognise  the  Bible,  but  they  interpret  it  for  themselves,  and 
hold  that  it  is  subject  to  be  changed  by  new  revelation,  which  (they 
say)  supersedes  old  revelation.  One  of  their  doctrines  is  that  of  con- 
tinued progression  to  ultimate  perfection.  They  say  God  was  but  a 
man,  who  went  on  developing  and  increasing  until  he  reached  his 
present  high  capacity ;  and  they  teach  that  Mormons  will  be  equal  to 
him — in  a  word,  that  good  Mormons  will  become  Gods.  They  teach 
the  shedding  of  blood  >for  the  remission  of  sins,  or,  in  other  words,  that 
if  a  Mormon  apostatizes,  his  throat  shall  be  cut,  and  his  blood  poured 
out  upon  the  ground  for  the  remission  of  his  sin.  They  also  practice 
other  revolting  doctrines,  such  as  are  only  carried  out  in  polygamous 
countries,  which  is  evidenced  by  a  number  of  mutilated  persons  in 
their  midst.  They  hold  that  the  prophet's  revelations  are  binding 
upon  their  consciences,  and  that  they  are  bound  to  obey  him  in  all 
things.  They  say  that  the  earth  and  the  fullness  thereof  is  the  Lord's ; 
that  they  are  God's  chosen  people  on  earth;  that  their  mission  -on 
earth  is  to  take,  charge  of  God's  property,  and,  as  faithful  stewards, 
that  it  is  their  duty  to  obtain  it,  and  are  taught  that,  in  obtaining  it, 
they  must  not  get  in  debt  to  the  Lord's  enemies  for  it :  in  other 
words,  they  teach  that  it  is  a  duty  to  rob  and  steal  from  Gentiles. 

They  have  christened  themselves  aThe  Church  of  Jesus  Chris!  of 
Latter  Day  Saints."  They  claim  that  Mormonism  is  to  go  on  spread- 
ing until  it  overthrows  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and,  if  necessary 
for  its  accomplishment,  its  success  shall  be  consummated  by  the  sword  ; 
that  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  is  to  be  the  seat  of  empire  of  the  Mor- 
mon Church ;  that  hence  the  Mormons  are  to  be  finally  gathered,  and 
that  from  that  Zion  shall  proceed  a  power  that  will  dethrone  kings, 
subvert  dynasties,  and  subjugate  all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

I  have  said  that  their  doctrines  were  repulsive  to  every  refined 
mind.  Every  other  false  faith  which  has  reigned  its  evil  time  upon 
this  goodly  world  of  ours  has  had  some  kindly  and  redeeming  features. 
Even  the  semi-theocracy  of  the  Aztecs,  as  Prescott  tells  you,  disfigured 
as  it  was  by  horrid  and  bloody  rites,  was  not  without  them.  Buddh- 
ism and  Brahmanism,  with  all  their  misshapen  fable,  still  inculcated,  in 
no  small  degree,  a  pure  code  of  morals.  Nor  is  the  like  assertion  un- 
true of  Mahomedanism.  It  was  reserved  for  Mormonism,  far  off  in 


the  bosom  of  our  beloved  laud,  to  rear  its  head,  naked  in  all  its  hideous 
deformity,  and  unblushingly,  yes,  defiantly,  proclaim  a  creed  without 
the  least  redeeming  feature,  and  of  such  character  that  the  Thugism 
of  India  cannot  match  it. 

So  at  variance  is  the  practice  of  Polygamy  with  all  the  instincts  of 
humanity,  that  it  has  to  be  pressed  upon  the  people  with  the  greatest 
assiduity  as  a  part  of  their  religious  duty.  It  is  astonishing  with  what 
pertinacity  through  all  their  "Sermons  and  Discourses"  it  is  justified 
and  insisted  on.  Threats,  entreaties,  persuasions,  and  commands,  are 
corrti nu ally  brought  in  play  to  enforce  its  cheerful  observance.  So 
revolting  is  it  to  the  women,  that  to  aid  in  its  enforcement  they  are 
brutalized,  their  modesty  destroyed  by  coarse,  low,  vile,  vulgar  expres- 
sions, such  as  I  could  not  repeat,  and  would  not  ask  the  clerk  to  read 
in  your  hearing.  If,  however,  my  conjugal  friend,  the  delegate  from 
Utah  will  undertake  such  task,  I  will  most  cheerfully  furnish  them  for 
him ;  certainly  he  ought  not  to  hesitate.  If  they  are  proper  to  be 
repeated  before  large  congregations  of  women  and  children  in  Salt 
Lake  city,  the  representative  of  the  church  ought  not  to  be  abashed  at 
reading  them  to  this  house.  Will  the  delegate  from  Utah  read  them? 

CONDITION    OF    THE    WOMEN. 

But  their  teachings,  officially  reported  by  themselves,  give  you  a 
better  idea  of  their  estimation  of  womaii  than  anything  I  could  say. 
I  shall  read  to  you  from  a  few  of  their  sermons  on  this  subject,  only 
observing  that  you  may  pick  other  passages  inculcating  similar  doc- 
trines, containing  like  threats,  rebukes  and  complaints,  in  nearly  every 
sermon  published  in- the  church  organ. 

President  J.  M.  GRANT,  in  a  sermon  delivered  Sept.  21st,  1856, 
reported  in  the  Deseret  News,  vol.  6,  page  235,  said : 

"  And  we  have  women  here  who  like  anything  but  the  celestial  law  of  God ; 
and  if  they  could,  would  break  asunder  the  cable  of  the  Church  of  Christ : 
there  is  scarcely  a  Mother  in  Israel  but  would  do  it  this  day.  And  they  talk 
it  to  their  husbands,  to  their  daughters,  and  to  their  neighbors,  and  say  that 
they  have  not  seen  a  week's  happiness  since  they  became  acquainted  with  that 
law,  or  since  their  husband  took  a  second  wife.  They  want  to  break  up  the 
Church  of  God,  and  to  break  it  from  their  husbands,  and  from  their  family 
connections." 

President  BRIGHAM  YOUNG,  in  a  sermon  delivered  the  same  day, 
reported  in  the  same  paper,  sai<t: 

"  Now  for  my  proposition ;  it  is  more  particularly  for  my  sisters,  as  it  is 
frequently  happening  that  women  say  that  they  are  unhappy.  Men  will  say, 
'  My  wife,  though  a  most  excellent  woman,  has  not  seen  a  happy  day  since  I 
took  my  second  wife ;'  '  No  not  a  happy  day  for  a  year,'  says  one  ;  and  another 


has  not  seen  a  happy  day  for  five  years.  It  is  said  that  women  are  tied  down 
and  abused  ;  that  they  are  misused  and  have  not  the  liberty  they  ought  to 
have ;  that  many  of  them  are  wading  through  a  perfect  flood  of  tears,  because 
of  the  conduct  of  some  men,  together  with  their  own  folly. 

"  I  wish  my  women  to  understand  that  what  I  am  going  to  say  is  for  them, 
as  well  as  all  others,  and  I  want  those  who  are  here  to  tell  their  sisters,  yes, 
all  the  women  of  this  community,  and  then  write  it  back  to  the  States,  and  do 
as  you  please  with  it.  I  am  going  to  give  you  from  this  time  until  the  6th  day 
of  October  next  for  reflection,  that  you  may  determine  whether  you  wish  to 
stay  with  your  husbands  or  not,  and  then  I  am  going  to  set  every  woman  at 
liberty  and  say  to  them :  Now  go  your  way,  my  women  with  the  rest,  go  your 
way.  And  my  wives  have  got  to  do  one  of  two  things;  either  round  up  their 
shoulders  to  endure  the  afflictions  of  this  world  and  live  their  religion,  or  they 
may  leave,  for  I  will  not  have  them  about  me.  I  will  go  into  heaven  alone, 
rather  than  have  scratching  and  fighting  around  me.  I  will  set  all  at  liberty. 
'  What,  first  wife  too  ?'  Yes,  I  will  liberate  you  all. 

I  know  what  my  women  will  say;  they  will  say,  'You  can  have  as  many 
women  as  you  please,  Brigham.'    But  I  want  to  go  somewhere  and  do  some- 
thing to  get  rid  of  the  whiners;  I  do  not  want  them  to  receive  a  part  of  the 
truth  and  spurn  the  rest  out  of  doors." 
********** 

"Let  every  man  thus  treat  his  wives,  keeping  raiment  enough  to  clothe  his 
body ;  and  say  to  your  wives,  '  take  all  that  I  have  and  be  set  at  liberty ;  but 
if  you  stay  with  me  you  shall  comply  with  the  law  of  God,  and  that  too  with- 
out any  murmuring  and  whining.  You  must  fulfill  the  law  of  God,  in  every 
respect,  and  round  up  your  shoulders  to  walk  up  to  the  mark  without  any 
grunting.' 

"  Now  recollect,  that  two  weeks  from  to-morrow  I  am  going  to  set  you  all 
at  liberty.  But  the  first  wife  will  say,  '  It  is  hard,  for  I  have  lived  with  my 
husband  twenty  years  or  thirty,  and  have  raised  a  family  of  children  for  him, 
and  it  is  a  great  trial  to  me  for  him  to  have  more  women  ;  then  I  say  it  is  time 
that  you  gave  him  up  to  other  women  who  will  bear  children.  If  my  wife  had 
borne  me  all  the  children  that  she  ever  would  bear,  the  celestial  law  would 
teach  me  to  take  young  women  that  would  have  children. 
********** 

"  Sisters,  I  am  not  joking  ;  I  do  not  throw  out  my  proposition  to  banter  your 
feelings,  to  see  whether  you  will  leave  your  husbands,  all  or  any  of  you.  But 
I  do  know  that  there  is  no  cessation  to  the  everlasting  whinings  of  many  of 
the  women  in  this  territory.  And  if  th#  women  will  turn  from  the  command- 
ments of  God  and  continue  to  despise  the  order  of  heaven,  I  will  pray  that  the 
curse  of  the  Almighty  may  be  close  to  their  heels,  and  that  it  may  be  following 
them  all  the  day  long.  And  those  that  enter  into  it  and  are  faithful,  I  will 
promise  them  that  they  shall  be  queens  in  heaven,  and  rulers  to  all  eternity." 

President  HEBER  C.  KIMBALL,  in  a  discourse -delivered  in  the  Taber- 
nacle, Nov.  9th,  1856.  Deseret  News,  vol.  6,  page  291,  said : 

"  I  have  no  wife  or  child  that  has  any  right  to  rebel  against  me.  If  they 
violate  my  laws  and  rebel  against  me,  they  will  get  into  trouble  just  as  quickly 
as  though  they  transgressed  the  counsels  and  teachings  of  Brother  Brigham. 
Does  it  give  a  woman  a  right  to  sin  against  me  because  she  is  my  wife  ?  Eo, 


6 

but  it  is  her  duty  to  do  my  will  as  I  do  the  will  of  my  Father  and  my  God. 
It  is  the  duty  of  woman  to  be  obedient  to  her  husband,  and  unless  she  is,  I 
would  not  'give  a  damn  for  all  her  queenly  right  and  authority,  nor  for  her 
either  if -she  will  quarrel,  and  lie  about  the  work  of  God  and  the  principle  of 
plurality. 

A  disregard  of  plain  and  correct  teachings  is  the  reason  why  so  many  are 
dead  and  damned,  and  twice  plucked  up  by  the  roots,  and  I  would  as  soon 
baptize  the  devil  as  some  of  you." 

Oct.  6th,  1855,  vol.  5,  page  274,  Kimball  said  : 

"  If  you  oppose  any  of  the  works  of  God  you  will  cultivate  a  spirit  of 
apostacy.  If  you  oppose  what  is  called  the  spiritual  wife  doctrines  the  patri- 
archal order,  which  is  of  God,  that  course  will  corrode  you  with  apostacy,  and 
YOU  will  go  overboard :  still  a  great  many  do  so,  and  strive  to  justify  them- 
selves in  it;  but  they  are  not  justified  of  God." 

********* 

"  The  principle  of  plurality  of  wives  never  will  be  done  away,  although 
some  sisters  have  had  revelations  that  when  this  time  passes  away,  and  they 
go  through  the  veil,  every  woman  will  have  a  husband  to  herself.  I  wish  more 
of  our  young  men  would  take  to  themselves  wives  of  the  daughters  of  Zion, 
and  not  wait  for  us  old  men  to  take  them  all.  Go  ahead  upon  the  right 
principle,  young  gentlemen,  and  God  bless  you  forever  and  ever,  and  make 
you  fruitful,  that  we  may  fill  the  mountains,  and  then  the  earth,  with  righteous 
inhabitants." 

April  2,  1854,  President  HEBER  C.  KIMBALL  said  in  the  Tabernacle 
—See  Deseret  News,  vol.  4,  No.  20  : 

"There  are  some  of  the  ladies  who  are  not  happy  in  their  present 
situation;  but  that  woman  who  cannot  be  happy  with  one  man  cannot 
be  happy  with  two.  You  know  all  women  are  good,  or  ought  to  be. 
They  are  made  for  angelic  beings,  and  I  would  like  to  see  them  act  more 
angelic  in  their  behavior.  You  were  made  more  angelic  and  a  little 
weaker  than  man.  Man  is  made  of  rougher  material — to  open  the  way,  cut 
down  bushes,  and  kill  the  snakes — that  women  may  walk  along  through  life, 
and  not  soil  and  tear  their  skirts.  When  you  see  a  woman  with  ragged  skirts 
you  may  know  she  wears  the  unmentionables,  for  she  is  doing  the  man's  busi- 
ness, and  has  not  time  to  cut  off  the  rags  that  are  hanging  around  her.  From 
this  time  henceforth  you  may  know  what  woman  wears  her  husband's  pants. 
May  the  Lord  bless  you.  Amen." 

President  HEBER  C.  KIMBALL,  in  a  lengthened  discourse,  delivered 
in  the  Tabernacle,  on  the  6th  day  of  April,  1857,  took  occasion  to 
say : 

"  I  would  not  be  afraid  to  promise  a  man  who  is  sixty  years  of  age,  if  he 
will  take  the  counsel  of  Brother  Brigham,  and  his  brethren,  he  will  renew  his 
age.  I  have  noticed  that  a  man  who  has  but  one  wife,  and  is  inclined  to  that 
doctrine,  soon  begins  to  wither  and  dry  up,  while  a  man  who  goes  into  'plurality 
looks  fresh,  young  and  sprightly.  Why  is  this  ?  Because  God  loves  that  man, 
and  because  he  honors  his  work  and  word.  Some  of  you  may  not  believe 


this  ;  but  I  not  only  believe  it,  but  I  also  know  it.     For  a  man  of  God  to  be  • 
oonfined  to  one  woman  is  small  business,  for  it  is  as  rtrtiCh  as  we  can  do  now  to 
keep  up  under  the  burdens  we  have  to  carry,  and  I  do  not>  know  what  we 
should  do  if  we  had  only  one  woman  apiece." 

President  HEBER  C.  KIMBALL  used  the  following  language  in  a  dis- 
course instructing  a  band  of  Missionaries,  about  to  start  on  their 
Missions  : 

"  I  say  to  those  who  are  elected  to  go  on  Missions,  go,  if  you  never  return, 
and  commit  what  you  have  into  the  hands  of  God — your  wi^es,  your  children 
your  brethren,  and  your  property.    Let  truth  and  righteousness  be  your  motto 
and  don't  go  into  the  world  for  anything  else  but  to  preach  the  Gospel,  build 
up  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and  gather  the  sheep  into  the  fold.     You  are  sent  out 
as  shepherds  to  gather  the  sheep  together,  and  remember  they  are  not  your 
sheep  ;  they  belong  to  him  that  sends  you  ;  then  don't  make  a  choice  of  any 
of  those  sheep,  don't  make  selections  before  they  are  brought  home  and  put  into 
the  fold;  You  UNDERSTAND  THAT.     Amen. 

Such,  then,  is  Mormonism  in  regard  to  all  that  beautifies  life  in  the 
conjugal  relation — such  are  their  sentiments  and  commands  pro- 
nounced under  the  assumed  authority  of  God  upon  the  female  sex. 
When  President  Kimball  calls  his  numerous  wives  his  "  cows  "  he 
but  reflects  the  Mormon  idea  of  women  in  the  social  scale. 

The  view  is  sickening.  I  turn  with  loathing  and  disgust  from  their 
legalized  status  of  systematic  debauchery  and  lust.  Before  it  the  en- 
tire nature  recoils.  No  wonder  that  it  requires  the  whole  enginery  of 
the  Mormon  church,  threats,  and  intimidations  to  compel  the  women 
to  submit  to  it.  I  pity  that  man  or  woman  who  can  for  one  moment 
look  upon  this  organized,  systematic,  enforced  degradation  and  pros- 
titution with  any  other  feeling  than  that  of  abhorrence  and  disgust. 
In  matters  of  affection  woman  is  a  monopolist — she  wants  the  whole 
heart  or  she  wants  none.  But  in  Utah  she  is  compelled  to  take  the 
part  only  of  the  smallest  of  hearts — a  Mormon's  heart — little  atten- 
tion and  no  devotion. 

THEFT  AND  ROBBERY. 

I  have  said  that  robbery,  as  well  as  lust,  was  sanctified  by  the  Mor- 
mon creed.  One  from  many  evidences  of  such  teachings  will  suffice. 

In  a  sermon  delivered  by  PEBER  C.  KIMBALL,  Sept.  15,  1857,  after 
proclaiming  the  coming  overthrow  of  their  enemies,  and  their  subjec- 
tion, he  continues : 

"'Now,'  says  the  Lord,  '  take  that  spoil,  I  consecrate  it  unto  my  peoples 
The  Lord  will  provide  for  the  Saints  when  necessary,  and  in  his  own  way." 

In  the  same  sermon  he  quoted  from  the  "  Book  of  Doctrines  and 
Covenants,"  on  the  same  subject,  as  follows: 


"  Behold,  it  is  said  in  my  laws,  or  forbidden  to,  get  in  debt  to  thine  enemies; 
but  behold  it  is  not  said  at  any  time  that  the  Lord  should  not  take  when  He 
pleases,  and  pay  as  seemeth  him  good.  Wherefore,  as  ye  are  agents,  and  on 
the  Lord's  errands,  and  whatever  ye  do  according  to  the  will  of  the  Lord  is 
the  Lord's  business,  and  He  hath  sent  you  to  provide  for  the  Saints  in  these 
last  days,  that  they  may  obtain  an  inheritance  in  the  land  of  Zion.  And,  be- 
hold, I,  the  Lord,  declare  it  unto  you,  and  my  words  are  sure  and  shall  not 
fail.  But  all  things  must  come  to  pass  in  their  time;  wherefore,  be  not  weary 
in  well  doing,  for  ye  are  laying  the  foundation  of  a  great  work,  and  out  of 
small  things  proceedeth  that  which  is  great." 

The  code  of  the  Spartans  allowed  theft  as  a  sort  of  discipline  for 
their  youth,  who  were  to  be  thus  fitted  for  the  strategy  of  war,  so 
necessary  among  a  primitive  and  martial  people ;  but  in  no  country 
or  age  before  has  robbery  been  taught  as  a  divine  ordinance,  the  ob- 
servance of  which  was  binding  as  conducing  to  the  aggrandizement 
of  His  people.  Yet,  here  at  last,  in  the  "  ferment  of  an  uneasy  civi- 
lization," it  stands  forth  in  the  boldest  relief  that  language  dare  give. 
"  The  trumpet "  here  "  gives  no  uncertain  sound." 

SHEDDING    BLOOD    FOR    THE    REMISSION    OF    SINS. 

But  the  picture,  true  to  life  as  it  is,  has  yet  darker  shades.  Mur- 
der'is  openly  commanded,  and  incessant  appeals  from  the  self-consti- 
tuted Apostles  of  Almighty  God  prove  beyond  all  doubt,  that  its  ex- 
ecution is  considered  and  urged  as  one  of  the  fundamental  doctrines  to 
be  enforced,  and  acted  on  by  the  faithful  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints. 
The  doctrines,  which,  from  their  own  books  I  have  just  read,  may 
perhaps  merely  disgust,  but  the  doctrine  of  which  I  have  now  from  the 
same  source  to  adduce  proofs,  will  horrify.  In  the  few  extracts  I  have 
to  give  you,  (to  which,  if  time  allowed,  I  might  add  a  thousand  more,) 
the  right  and  duty  of  the  Church  to  "  spill  blood  "  is  asserted  in  the 
plainest  and  coarsest  words  that  our  Anglo-Saxon  language  affords. 
Theft,  lust,  and  murder  are  canonized  in  the  Mormon  creed. 

"  It  is  as  if  the  fiends  prevailed 
Against  the  seraphs  they  assailed, 
And  throned  on  heavecly  seats  should  dwell 
The  freed  inheritors  of  Hell!" 

I  read  to  you  from  a  "  Discourse  "  of  President  Brigharn  Young, 
delivered  Sept.  21,  1856  : 

"  There  are  sins  that  men  commit  for  which  they  cannot  receive  forgiveness 
in  this  world,  or  in  that  which  is  to  come,  and  if  they  had  their  eyes  open  to 
their  true  condition,  they  would  be  perfectly  willing  to  have  their  blood  spilt 
upon  the  ground,  that  the  smoke  thereof  might  ascend  to  heaven  as  an  offering 
for  their  sins,  and  the  smoking  ijicense  would  atone  for  their  sins ;  whereas, 


9 

.f 

if  such  is  not  the  case,  they  will  stick  to  them  and  remain  upon  them  in  the 
spirit  world. 

"  I  know,  when  you  hear  my  brethre'n  telling  about  cutting  people  off  from 
the  earth  that  you  consider  it  is  strong  doctrine  ;  but  it  is  to  save  them,  not  to 
destroy  them. 

*  *  '  *  *  *  *  * 

"  It  is  true  the  blood  of  the  son  of  God  was  shed  for  sins  through  the  fall 
and  those  committed  by  men,  yet  men  can  commit  sins  which  it  can  never  re- 
mit. As  it  was  in  ancient  days  so  it  is  in  our  day  ;  and  though  the  principles 
are  taught  publicly  from  this  stand,*  still  the  people  do  not  understand  them  ; 
yet  the  law  is  precisely  the  same.  There  are  sins  that  can  be  atoned  for  by 
an  offering  upon  an  altar  as  in  ancient  days;  and  there  are  sins  that  the  blood 
of  a  lamb,  of  a  calf,  or  of  turtle  doves  cannot  remit,  but  they  must  be  atoned 
for  by  the  blood  of  the  man.  That  is  the  reason  why  men  talk  to  you  as  they 
do  from  this  stand ;  they  understand  the  doctrine,  and  throw  out  a  few  words 
about  it.  You  have  been  taught  that  doctrine,  but  you  do  not  understand  it." 

Of  entirely  a  similar  nature  is  a  "  Discourse  of  President  Jedediah 
M.  Grant,  delivered  March  12,  1854;  He  is  speaking  of  what  he  calls 
"  covenant  breakers" — those  who  leave  the  Mormon  Church,  and  he 


"  Then  what  ought  this  meek  people  who  keep  the  commandments  of  God 
do  unto  them?  'Why,'  says  one,  'they  ought  to  pray  to  the  Lord  to  kill 
them.'  I  want  to  know  if  you  would  wish  the  LORD  to  come  doicn  and  do  all 
your  dirty  work?  Many  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  will  pray,  and  petition,  and 
supplicate  the  Lord  to  do  a  thousand  things  they  themselves  would  be 

ashamed  to  do. 

******* 

"  When  a  man  prays  for  a  thing,  he  ought  to  be  willing  to  perform  it  him- 
self. But  if  the  Latter  Day  Saints  should  put  to  death  the  covenant-breakers, 
it  would  try  the  faith  of  the  '  very  meek,  just,  and  pious'  ones  among  them, 
and  it  would  cause  a  great  deal  of  whining  in  Israel. 

"Then  there 'was  another  odd  commandment.  The  Lord  God  commanded 
them  not  to  pity  the  person  whom  they  killed,  but  to  execute  the  law  of  God 
upon  persons  worthy  of  death.  This  should  be  done  by  the  entire  congrega- 
tion, SHOWING  NO  PITY.  I  have  thought  there  would  have  to  be  quite  a  revo- 
lution among  the  Mormons,  before  such  a  commandment  could  be  obeyed  com- 
pletely by  them.  The  Mormons  have  a  great  deal  of  sympathy.  For  instance, 
if  they  can  get  a  man  before  the  tribunal  administering  the  law  of  the  land, 
and  succeed  in  getting  a  rope  around  his  neck,  and  having  him  hung  up  like 
a  dead  dog,  it  is  all  right.  But  if  the  Church  and  Kingdom  of  God  should 
step  forth  and  execute  the  law  of  God,  0,  what  a  burst  of  Mormon  sympathy 
it  would  cause !  1  wish  we  were  in  a  situation  favorable  to  our  doing  that 
which  is  justifiable  before  God,  without  any  contaminating  influence  of  Gen- 
tile amalgamation,  laws,  and  traditions,  that  the  People  of  God  might  lay  the 
axe  to  the  root  of  the  tree,  and  every  tree  that  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit 
might  be  hewn  down. 

"What!  do  you  believe  that  people  would  do  right  and  keep  the  law  of 
God  by  actually  putting  to  death  the  transgressors  ?  Putting  to  death  the 


10 

% 

transgressors  would  exhibit  the  law  of  God,  'no  matter  BY  WHOM  it  was  done. 
That  is  my  opinion. 

"You  talk  of  the  doings  of  different  Governments — the  United  States,  if 
you  please.  What  do  they  do  with  traitors  ?  What  mode  do  they  adopt 
to  punish  traitors ?  Do  traitors  to  that  Government  forfeit  their  lives?  Ex- 
amine, also,  the  doings  of  other  earthly  governments  on  this  point,  and  you 
find  the  same  practice  universal.  I  atn  not  aware  that  there  are  any  ex- 
ceptions. But  people  will  look  into  books  of  theology,  and  argue  that  the 
people  of  God  have  a  right  to  try  people  for  fellowship,  but  they  have  no 
right  to  try  them  on  property  or  life.  That  makes  the  Devil  laugh,  saying : 
I  have  got  them  on  a  hook  now ;  they  can  cut  them  off,  and  I  will  put  eight 
or  ten  spirits  worse  than  they  are  into  their  tabernacles,  and  send  them  back 
to  mob  them." 

President  Brigham  Young  (February  8,  1857)  said,  in  a  discourse 
in  the  Tabernacle.  (See  Deseret  News,  vol.  6,  page  397  :) 

"  But  now  I  say,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  that  if  this  people  will  sin  no 
more,  but  faithfully  live  their  religion,  their  sins  will  be  forgiven  them 
without  taking  life.  You  are  aware  that  when  Brother  Cummings  came  to 
the  point  of  loving  our  neighbors,  he  could  say  yes  or  no,  as  the  case  might 
be ;  that  is  true.  But  I  want  to  connect  it  with  the  doctrine  you  read  in 
the  Bible.  When  will  we  love  our  neighbor  as  ourselves  ?  In  the  first  place, 
Jesus  said  that  no  man  hateth  his  own  flesh.  It  is  admitted  by  all  that  every 
person  loves  himself.  Now,  if  we  do  rightly  love  ourselves,  we  want  to  be 
saved  and  continue  to  exist.  We  want  to  go  into  the  kingdom  where  we 
can  enjoy  eternity,  and  see  no  more  sorrow  nor  death.  This  is  the  desire  of 
every  person  who  believes  in  God.  Now,  take  a  person  in  this  congregation 
who  has  knowledge  with  being  saved  in  the  kingdom  of  our  God  and  our 
Father,  and  being  exalted  an  exalted  one — who  knows  and  understands  the 
principles  of  eternal  life,  and  sees  the  beauty  and  excellency  of  the  eternities 
before  him  compared  with  the  vain  and  foolish  things  of  the  world ;  and  sup- 
pose he  is  overtaken  in  a  gross  fault — that  he  has  committed  a  sin  which  he 
knows  will  deprive  him  of  that  exaltation  which  he  desires,  and  that  he  can- 
not attain  to  it  without  the  shedding  of  his  blood ;  and  also  knows  that  by 
having  his  blood  shed,  he  will  atone  for  that  sin  and  be  saved,  and  exalted 
with  the  Gods;  is  there  a  man  or  woman  in  this  house  but  what  would  say  : 
'Shed  my  blood,  that  I  may  be  saved  and  exalted  with  the  Gods?' 

"  All  mankind  love  themselves ;  and  let  these  principlies  be  known  by  an 
individual,  and  he  would  be  glad  to  have  his  blood  shed.  That  would  be 
loving  themselves  even  unto  an  eternal  exaltation.  Will  you  love  your 
brothers  or  sisters  likewise,  when  they  have  committed  a  sin  that  cannot  be 
be  atoned  for  without  the  shedding  of  their  blood.  Will  you  love  that  man 
or  woman  well  enough  to  shed  their  blood.  That  is  what  Jesus  Christ  meant. 
He  never  told  a  man  or  woman  to  love  their  enemies  in  their  wickedness. 
He  never  intended  any  such  thing. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

"  I  could  refer  you  to  plenty  of  instances  where  men  have  been  righteously 
slain  in  order  to  atone  for  their  sins.  I  have  seen  scores  and  hundreds  of  peo- 
ple for  whom  there  would  have  been  a  chance  in  the  last  resurrection  if  their 


11 

lives  had  been  taken  and  their  blood  spilled  upon  the  ground  as  a  smoking  in- 
cense to  the  Almighty,  but  who  are  aow  angds  to  the  devil,  until  our  elder 
brother,  Jesus  Christ  raises  them  up,  conquers  death,  hell,  and  the  grave.  I 
have  known  a  great  many  men  who  have  left  this  church,  for  whom  there  is 
no  chance  whatever  for  exaltation  ;  but  if  their  blood  had  been  spilled,  it  would 
have  been  better  for  them.  The  wickedness  and  ignorance  of  the  nations  for- 
bid this  principle  being  in  full  force,  but  the  time  will  come  when  the  law  of 
God  will  be  in  full  force. 

"This  is  loving  our  neighbor  as  ourselves  ;  if  he  needs  help,  help  him ;  and 
if  he  wants  salvation,  and  it  is  necessary  to  9pill  his  blood  upon  the  ground  in 
order  that  he  may  be  saved,  spill  it.  Any  of  you  who  understand  the  princi- 
ples of  eternity,  if  you  have  sinned  a  sin  requiring  the  shedding  of  blood,  ex- 
cept the  sin  unto  death,  would  not  be  satisfied  nor  rest  until  your  blood  should 
be  spilled,  that  you  might^gain  that  salvation  you  desire.  That  is  the  way  to 
love  mankind." 

President  J.  M.  GRANT  said,  September  21,  1856,  Deseret  News, 
vol.  6,  page  235  : 

"  I  say  there  are  men  and  women  here  that  I  would  advise  to  go  to  the 
President  immediately,  and  ask  him  to  appoint  a  committee  to  attend  to  their 
case  ;  and  then  let  a  place  be  selected,  and  let  that  committee  shed  their  blood. 

"  MEAN  DEVILS  "  GOOD  MORMON  PREACHERS. 

In  a  reported  sermoo,  delivered  by  Brigham  Young,  Nov.  9,  1856, 
Deseret  News,  vol.  6,  p.  291.  After  speaking  of  not  embracing  men 
in  his  religion,  he  said  : 

"  Some  of  the  elders  seemed  to  be  tripped  up  in  a  moment  if  the  wicked 
can  find  any  fault  with  the  members  of  this  church;  but,  bless  your  souls,  I 
would  not  yet  have  this  people  faultless,  for  the  day  of  separation  has  not 
not  yet  arrived.  I  have  many  a  time,  in  this  stand,  dared  the  world  to  pro- 
duce as  mean  devils  as  we  can — we  can  beat  them  at  anything.  We  have  the 
greatest  and  smoothest  liars  in  the  world,  the  cunningest  and  most  adroit 
thieves,  and  any  other  shade  of  character  that  you  can  mention. 

"We  can  pick  out  elders  in  Israel  right  here  who  can  beat  the  world  at 
gambling;  who  can  handle  the  cards;  can  cut  and  shuffle  them  with  the 
smartest  rogUe  on  the  face  of  God's  footstool.  I  can  produce  elders  here  who 
can  shave  their  smartest  shavers,  and  take  their  money  from  them.  We  can 
beat  the  world  at  any  game." 

"We  can  beat  them  because  we  have  men  here  that  live  in  the  light  of  the 
Lord — that  have  the  holy  priesthood,  and  hold  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of 
God.  But  you,mav  go  through  all  the  sectarian  world  and  you  cannot  find 
a  man  capable  of  opening  the  door  of  the  kingdom  of  God  to  admit  others  in. 
We  can  do  that.  We  can  pray  the  best,  preach  the  best,  and  sing  the  best. 
We  are  the  best  looking  and  finest  set  of  people  on  the  face  of  the  earth  ;  and 
,they  may  begin  any  game  they  please,  and  we  are  on  hand,  and  can  beat  them 
at  anything  they  have  a  mind  to  begin.  They  may  make  sharp  their  two- 
edged  swords,  and  I  will  turn  out  the  elders  of  Israel  with  greased  feathers, 
and  whip  them  to  death.  We  are  not  to  be  beat.  We  expect  to  be  a  stumbling 
block  to  the  whole  world,  and  a  rock  of  offence  to  them. 


12 

Such  a  "  sermon  "  needs  no  comment.  It  will  be  seen  that  the 
scheme  of  these  religionists  is  quite  broad  enough  to  embrace  poly- 
gamy, adultery,  incest,  perjury,  blasphemy,  robbery,  and  murder,  as  a 
part  of  its  devilish  plan. 

v 

MORMON  INDEPENDENCE  THREATENED. 

Brigham  Young,  in  a  discourse  in  the  Tabernacle,  Aug.  31,  1856, 
Deseret  News,  vol.  6,  p.  219,  said : 

"Mormonisna  is  true,  and  all  Hell  cannot  overthrow  it.  All  the  devil's  ser- 
vants on  the  earth  may  do  all  they  can,  and.'as  Brother  Clinton  has  just  said, 
after  twenty  six  years'  faithful  operation"  and  exertion  by  our  enemies  what 
have  they  accomplished  ?  They  have  succeeded  iv  making  us  an  organized 
Territory,  and  they  are  determined  to  make  us  an  independent  State  or  Gov- 
ernment, as  the  Lord  lives.  (The  congregation  shouted  Amen.) 

41 1  say,  as  the  Lord  lives,  we  are  bound  to  become  a  sovereign  State  in  the 

Union,  or  an  independent  nation  by  ourselves." 

*  #  *  *  *-         4        #  * 

"  I  have  frequently  told  you,  and  I  tell  you  again,  that  the  very  report  of 
the  church  and  kingdom  of  God. 

"The  sound  of  Mormonism  is  a  terror  to  towns,  counties,  States,  the  pre- 
tended republican  governments,  and  to  all  the  world. 

"Why,  because  as  the  Lord  Almighty  lives,  and  the  prophets  have  ever. 
This  work  is  destined  to  revolutionize  the  world,  and  bring  all  under  subjection 
to  the  law  of  God." 

The  Church  government  established  by  the  Mormons  to  carry  into 
operation  the  teachings  from  which  I  have  so  copiously  extracted,  is 
one  of  the  most  complete  despotisms  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  Th 
mind  of  one  man  permeates  through  the  whole  mass  of  the  people, 
and  subjects  to  its  unrelenting  tyranny  the  souls  and  bodies  of  all. 
It  reigns  supreme  in  church  and  State,  in  morals,  and  even  in  the  mi- 
nutest domestic  and  social  arrangements.  Brigham's  house  is  at  once 
tabernacle,  capitol,  and  harem ;  and  Brigham  himself  is  king,  priest, 
lawgiver,  and  chief  polygamist.  Is  treason  hatched  in  Utah — Brig- 
ham  is  the  head  traitor.  Are  rebel  troops  mustered  against  the 
United  States — Brigham  is  their  commander-in-chief.  Is  a  law  to  be 
enacted — Brigham's  advice  determines  it.  Is  an  offending  "  G-entile" 
or  an  apostate  Mormon  to  be  assassinated — the  order  emanates  from 
Brigham.  In  addition  to  all  this,  he  heals  the  afflicted  by  the  laying 
on  of  hands,  and  comforts  the  widow  by  becoming  her  husband.  It 
may  be  asked,  does  he  do  this  without  compensation  ?  No,  his  pay  is 
both  high  and  certain.  He  taxes  his  deluded  followers  to  the  extent 
of  all  surplus  property  upon  their  arrival  in  the  Territory.  He  subse- 
quently taxes  them  to  the  extent  of  one-tenth  of  their  annual  produc- 
tions and  labor,  and  if  reluctant  to  pay,  he  mercilessly  snatches  all 


13 

that  they  have.  He  has  through  the  legislature  unrestricted  license  to 
tax  merchants.  By  legislation,  all  estrays  in  the  Territory  are  im- 
pounded and  sold,  and  the  proceeds  paid  over  to  him.  By  like 
authority  he  seizes  upon  the  great  highway  between  our  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  possessions,  grants  exclusive  rights  to  erect  bridges  and  ferries 
across  all  the  streams  in  the  Territory — fixes  the  toll  at  enormous 
rates,  ranging.from  five  to  ten  dollars  for  a  team — expressly  providing 
in  the  law  that  a  portion  of  the  receipts  shall  be  paid  over  to  himself, 
by  which  means,  whether  willing  or  unwilling,  the  emigrant  to  the 
Pacific  coast  is  forced  to  build  up  the  Church,  and  furnish  money  to 
emigrate  pious  sisters  to  Zion  to  replenish  the  harems  of  the  hoary 
headed  leaders  of  the  Church  ;  and  as  if  to  consummate  the  matter  of 
pay,  all  escheats  in  the  Territory  are  to  him  ;  the  property  of  the  emi- 
grant, and  even  the  habiliments  of  the  deceased  may  be  sold,  and  the 
proceeds  paid  over  to  him. 

He  selects  for  himself  the  choicest  spots  of  land  in  the  Territory, 
and  they  yield  him  their  productions,  none  daring  to  interfere.  The 
timber  in  the  mountains  for  a  great  distance  from  Salt  Lake  city 
belongs  to  him,  and  it  is  only  by  delivering  each  third  load,  as  he 
shall  order,  that  the  gates  are  open  and  the  .citizen  allowed  to  pass  up 
City  creek  canon  to  obtain  it.  Having  appropriated  all  that  he 
desires  for  his  own  use,  he  has  quite  extensive  tracts  of  country  fur- 
nished him  by  the  Federal  government,  as  capital,  for  his  Church. 
He  sends  his  agents,  denominating  them  missionaries,  to  Europe,  who 
represent  Utah  as  a  paradise,  and  go  into  the  market  offering  each 
proselyte  who  will  come  to  Zion  a  homestead  of  a  quarter  section  of 
land— being  in  return  compensated  by  the  addition  of  females  to  fill 
the  harems,  and  the  tithing  which  will  in  the  future  accrue  to  him. 

The  cattle  on  a  thousand  hills  exhibit  his  brand.  He  fixes  his  pay, 
— he  pays  himself.  His  pampered  but  plebian  body  reposes  in  a 
palace,  and  scores  of  bright-eyed  women  call  him  husband.  His 
deluded  followers  yield  him  implicit  obedience,  and  a  church  organi- 
zation known  as  "  Danites"  or  "  destroying  angels,"  stand  ready  to 
protect  his  person,  to  avenge  his  wrongs,  and  to  execute  his  pleasure. 

Brigham  is  both  Church  and  State.  True,  the  atrocities  committed 
in  Utah  are  not  committed  by  him  with  his  own  hands,  but  they  are 
committed  by  his  underlings,  and  at  his  bidding.  He  claims  that  he 
is  not  a  criminal,  because  his  hand  is  not  seen  in  the  perpetration  of 
crime.  He  pleads  an  "  alibi,"  when  he  is  known  to  be  everywhere 
present  in  the  Territory.  He  seeks  to  avert  censure  by  feigning 
ignorance  of  the  atrocities  of  'his  underlings.  Such  ignorance  can 
only  be  supposable  on  the  hypothesis  that  Mormonism  is  not  a  system, 


aed  Brigham  is  not  its  head.  That  he  is  a  despot  without  power,  or 
a  prophet  without  the  ability  to  foresee. 

Now,  Brigham  is  either  complete  ruler  in  Utah,  or  he  is  nothing. 
The  complicity  of  the  church  dignitaries,  Mayors  of  cities,  and  other 
territorial  officials,  in  the  crimes  that  have  been  committed,  demon- 
strate that  those  crimes  were  church  crimes,  and  Brigham  is  the 
head  of  the  church. 

The  Legislators  of  the  Territory  are  Mormons.  The  endowment 
oaths  bind  them  to  yield  an  implicit  obedience  to  Brigham,  as  the 
head  of  the  church,  and  political  head  of  the  Territory.  His  man- 
dates are  superior  to  all  law.  The  Mormons  are  fanatics ;  they  will 
keep  their  oath  to  obey  him.  Did  not  their  religion  induce,  their  fears 
would  compel  obedience,  for  the  vengeance  of  Brigham,  though 
silent,  is  swift,  and  fearful  as  the  horrors  of  death  can  make  it.  Mor- 
mon punishment  for  Mormon  apostacy  is  like  the  old  curse  of  former 
Popes ;  it  extends  from  the  soles  of  the  feet  to  the  hairs  of  the  head. 
It  separates  husband  and  wife ;  it  reaches  from  the  confiscation  of 
property  to  the  severance  of  the  windpipe.  Armed  with  such  power 
over  the  hearts  and  lives  of  the  people,  Brigham  defiantly  drives  the 
barbaric  chariot  of  Mormon  robbery,  murder,  poligainy  and  incest 
over  all  law,  in  defiance  of  all  federal  officials  in  the  Territory.  Brig- 
ham  not  only  controls  the  legislation,  but  he  controls  the  courts.  He 
uses  the  one  to  aid  him  in  accomplishing  the  other.  On  the  14th  day 
of  January,  1854,  he  caused  to  be  passed  the  following  law  which  is 
still  in  force.  See  revised  laws  Utah,  pa^e  260. 

"That  all  questions  of  law,  the  meaning  of  writing  other  than  laws,  and 
the  admissibility  of  testimony  shall  be  decided  by  the  court ;  and  no  laws,  nor 
parts  of  laws,  shall  be  read,  argued,  cited  or  adopted  in  any  court  during  any 
trial  except  those  enacted  by  the  governor  and  Legislative  Assembly  of  this  Ter- 
ritory, and  those  passed  by  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  when  applica- 
ble ;  and  no  report,  decision  or  doings  of  any  court  shall  be  read,  argued,  cited 
or  adopted  as  precedent  in  any  other  trial." 

The  commoH  law,  the  wisdom  of  ages,  which  has  come  down  to  us 
as  the  handmaid  of  our  civil  and  religious  liberty,  must  be  done  away 
with,  that  the  Mormon  church  regulations  may  supply  their  place  in 
Utah.  But,  then,  how  convenient  it  is  to  provide  that  the  decisions 
made  in  a  Utah  court,  under  those  church  regulations,  upon  one  day, 
should  not  be  a  precedent  for  another  day.  It  leaves  the  court  wholly 
untrammelled,  and  authorizes  the  judges  or  jury  to  make  such  laws 
as  they  choose  in  every  case.  It  leaves  the  courts  open  to  receive  any 
new  divine  law  which  Brigham  may  see  fit  to  give  them.  He  conse- 
quently feels  it  to  be  a  duty  to  address  the  judges  and  jurors  in  the 
Territory. 


15 

You  will  find  a  specimen  discourse  of  his  in  the  Deseret  News,  vol^ 
5,  page  412,  in  which  instance  he  sent  quite  a  number  of  the  jurors 
on  missions,  for  violating  his  instructions  to  them  as  jurors. 

On  the  2d  of  March,  1856,  President  Grant  said,  in  a  sermon  de- 
lived  in  the  Tabernacle : 

"Last  Sunday  the  President  chastised  some  of  the  Apostles  and  Bishops, 
who  were  on  the  grand  jury.  Did  he  fully  succeed  in  clearing  away  the  fog 
which  surrounded  them,  and  in  removing  blindness  from  their  eyes  ?  No,  for 
they  could  go  to  their  room  and  again  disagree,  though,  to  their  credit,  it  must 
be  admitted  that  a  brief  explanation  made  them  unanimous  in,  their  action. 

"Not  long  ago,  I  heard  that  in  a  certain  case  the  traverse  jury  were  eleven 
against  one,  and  what  is  more  singular  the  one  alone  was  right  in  his  views  of 
the  case. 

"Several  had  got  into  the  fog  to  suck  and  eat  the  filth  of  a  gentile  law 
court,  ostensibly  a  court  of  Utah  though  I  call  it  a  gentile  court.  Why  ?  Be- 
cause it  does  not  magnify  the  laws  of  Utah,  as  provided  for  in  the  'organic 
act/  by  which  'act'  and  laws  it  alone  exists  as  a  court. 

"A  brief  examination  will  soon  convince  a  person,  of  any  ordinary  observa- 
tion, that  the  laws  of  Utah  are  not  administered  in  our  courts,  and  that  the 
judges  must  know  that  fact,  and  that  they  have  been  seeking,  from  the  first, 
with  but  one  exception,  to  overrule  them. 

"Our  laws  have  been  set  at  naught  and  walked  under  foot,  and  in  lieu 
thereof  a  constant  effort  has  been  made  to  rule  in  common  law,  English  law, 
and  law  after  law  totally  inapplicable." 

This  attempt  of  the  Mormons  to  interfere  with  the  administration 
of  the  law,  and  control  the  courts,  has  been  one  of  the  chief  causes 
of  difficulty  between  the  judges,  sent  by  the  Federal  Government  to 
Utah,  and  the  Morman  people.  From  almost  twenty  judges  sent  to 
the  Territory,  with  the  exception  of  two — Judge  Zerubbabel  Snow,  a 
Morman,  and  J.  F.  Kinnej,  the^  present  Chief  Justice,  the  only  terri- 
torial judge  who  has  not  been  removed  by  the  present  administration, 
and  who  bears  the  unenviable  reputation ' of  being  the  "creature  and 
tool  of  Brighara  Young," — the  testimony  has  been  uniformly  to  the 
effect  that  the  laws  could  not  be  enforced.  Not  one  of  these  judges, 
with  the  exception  of  the  two  named  above,  have  been  enabled  to 
serve  out  the  short  term  of  four  years.  Some  have  left  in  disgust, 
while  others  were  driven  away  by  force. 

As  one  of  the  Associate  Justices  of  the  Territory  of  Utah  in  the 
month  of  April,  1859,  I  commenced  and  held  a  Term  of  the  District 
Court  for  the  Second  Judicial  District  in  the  city  of  Provo,  about  sixty 
miles  south  of  Salt  Lake  City.  Upon  my  requisition  General  A.  S. 
Johnson,  in  command  of  the  military  department,  furnished  a  small 
military  force  for  the  purpose  of  protecting  the  court.  A  grand  jury 
was  empannellecl,  and  their  attention  was  pointedly  and  specifically 
called  to  a  great  number  of  crimes  that  had  been  committed  in  the 


16 

immediate  vicinity,  cases  of  public  notoriety  both  as  to  the  offense 
and  the  persons  who  had  perpetrated  the  same ;  (for  none  of  these 
things  had  "  been  done  in  a  corner.")  Their  perpetrators  had  scorned 
alike  concealment  or  apology,  before  the-  arrival  of  the  American 
forces.  The  jury  thus  instructed,  though  kept  in  session  two  weeks, 
utterly  refused  to  do  anything,  and  were  finally  discharged  as  an  evi- 
dently useless  appendage  of  a  court  of  justice.  But  the  court  was 
determined  to  try  a  last  resource  to  bring  to  light  and  to  punishment 
those  guilty  of  the  atrocious  crimes  which  confessedly  had  been  com- 
mitted in  the  Territory,  and  the  session  continued.  Bench  warrants, 
based  upon  sworn  information,  were  issued  against  the  alleged  crimi- 
nals, and  United  States  Marshal  Dotson,  a  most  excellent  and  reliable 
officer,  aided  by  a  MILITARY  POSSE,  procured  on  his  own  request,  had 
succeeded  in  making  a  few  arrests.  A  general  stampede  immediately 
took  place  among  the  Mormons,  and  what  I  wish  to  call  your  atten- 
tion to  as  particularly  noticeable,  is  the  fact  that  this  OCCURRED  MORE 

ESPECIALLY    AMONG     THE      CHURCH    OFFICIAL^    AND      CIVIL     OFFICERS. 

Why  were  these  classes  so  peculiarly  urgent  and  hasty  in  flight? 
The  law  of  evidence,  based  on  the  experience  of  ages,  has  but  one 
answer.  It  was  the  consciousness  of  guilt  which  drove  them  to  seek 
a  refuge  from  the  avenging  arm  of  the  law,  armed  at  last,  as 
they  supposed,  with  power  to  vindicate  its  injured  majesty.  It  is  a 
well-known  fact  that  many  of  the  Bishops  and  Presidents  of  "  Stakes" 
remained  secreted  in  the  mountains  until  the  news  was  confirmed  be- 
yond doubt  which  announ'ced  the  retrograde  course  of  the  Adminis- 
tration at  Washington.  You  can  easily  conceive  the  rejoicing  of 
those  who  had  fled,  their  rapturous  change  from  the  extreme  of  trepi- 
dation to  that  of  joy,  when  at  last  Gov.  Gumming  could  officially 
announce  to  his  Mormon  friends  that  the  zealous  efforts  'of  the  united 
Judiciary  of  Utah,  to  expose  and  punish  crime  and  administer  the 
law,  were  condemned  by  tbe  National  Administration.  And  this,  too, 
in  the  face  of  that  Administration's  boast,  that  rebellion  "had  been 
crushed  out"  in  Utah. 

Let  me  say  here,  though  it  may  seem  rather  a  digression,  that  while 
it  is  true  that  the  military  were  appealed  to  for  aid  in  the  admin- 
istration and  enforcement  of  the  laws,  and  in  the  protection  of  offi- 
cers and  witnesses,  it  is  as  equally  and  undeniably  true  that  the  legal 
and  social  rights  of  no  citizen,  whoever  he  may  have  been,  were  for 
one  instant  infringed  upon,  or  even  endangered  by  such  a  course. 

Sitting,  as  a  committing  magistrate,  complaint  after  complaint  was 
made  before  me,  of  murders  and  robberies  :  among  these  I  may  men- 
tion as  peculiarly  and  shockingly  prominent,  the  murder  of  Forbes, 
the  assassination  of  the  Parrishes  and  Potter,  of  Jones  and  his  mother, 


, 

!i 


of  the  Aiken  party,  of  which  tW  *  six  in  all;  and  worst,  and 

darkest  in  this  appaling  catalogue^^^Krd,  the  cowardly,  cold-blooded 
butchery  and  robbery  at  the  Mountain  Meadows.  At  that  time  there 
still  lay  all  ghastly  under  the  sun  of  Utah  the  unburied  skeletons  of 
one  hundred  and  nineteen  men,  women,  and  children,  the  hapless, 
hopeless  victims  of  the  Mormon  creed. 

Time  will  not  allow  that  I  should  read  the  affidavits  taken.  I  shall 
publish  a  portion  as, an  appendix  to  these  remarks  that  you  may  see 
that  I  am  justified  in  charging  that  the  Mormons  are  guilty,  aye, 
that  the  Mormon  church  is  guilty,  of  the  crimes  of  murder  and  rob- 
bery as  taught  in  their  books  of  faith. 

The  scene  of  this  horrible  massacre  at  the  Mountain  Meadows  is 
situate  about  three  hundred  and  twenty  miles  west  of  south  from  Great 
Salt  Lake  city,  on  the  road  leading  to  Los  Angelos,  in  California.  I 
was  the  first  Federal  judge  in  that  part  of  the  Territory  after  the  oc- 
currence. My  district  extending  from  a  short  distance  below  Salt 
Lake  city  to  the  south  end  of  the  Territory.  I  determined  to  visit 
that  part  of  my  district,  and,  if  possible,  expose  the  persons  engaged 
in  the  massacre,  which  I  did  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1859.  I 
accordingly  embraced  an  opportunity  of  accompanying  a  small  detach- 
ment of  soldiers  who  were  being  sent  to  that  section  by  General  John- 
son— having  requested  the  marshal  of  the  Territory  to  accompany, 
or  to  send  a  deputy.  He  accordingly  sent  Deputy  Wm.  H.  Rodgers, 
who  went  with  me. 

The  command  went  as  far  south  as  the  St.  Clara,  twenty  miles  be- 
yond the  Mountain  Meadows,  where  we  camped  and  remained  about 
a  week.  Duriug  our  stay  there  I  was  visited  by  the  Indian  chiefs  of 
that  section,  who  gave  me  their  version  of  the  massacre.  They  ad- 
mitted that  a  portion  of  their  men  were  engaged  in  the  massacre,  but 
were  not  there  when  the  attack  commenced.  One  of  them  told  me, 
in  the  presence  of  the  others,  that  after  the  attack  had  been  made,  a 
white  man  came  to  their  camp  with  a  piece  of  paper,  which,  he  said, 
Brigham  Young  had  sent,  that  directed  them  to  go  and  help  to  whip 
the  emigrants.  A  portion  of  the  band  went,  but  did  not  assist  in  the 
fight.  He  gave  as  a  reason  that  the  emigrants  had  long  guns,  and 
were  good  shots.  He  said  that  his  brother  [this  chief's  name  was 
Jaekson]  was  shot  while  running  across  the  Meadow  at  a  distance  of 
two  hundred  yards  from  the  corral  where  the  emigrants  were.  He 
said  the  Mormons  were  all  painted.  He  said  the  Indians  got  a  part 
of  the  clothing  ;  and  gave  the  names  of  John  D.  Lee,  President  Haight, 
and  Bishop  Higbee  as  the  big  captains.  It  might  be  proper  here  to 
remark  that  the  Indians  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Territory  of  Utah 
are  not  numerous,  and  are  a  very  low,  cowardly,  beastly  set,  very  few 


of  them  being  armed  with  gum  TRy  are  not  formidable.  I  believe 
all  in  the  southern  part  of  T^Mperritory  would,  under  no  circum- 
stances, carry  on  a  fight  against  ten  white  men. 

From  our  camp  on  the  St.  Clara  we  again 'went  back  to  the  Moun- 
tain Meadows,  camping  near  where  the  massacre  had  occurred.  The 
Meadow  is  about  five  miles  in  length  and  one  in  width,  running  to 
quite  a  narrow  point  at  the  southwest  end,  being  higher  at  the  middle 
than  either  end.  It  is  the  divide  between  the  waters  that  flow  into 
the  Great  Basin  and  those  emptying  into  the  Colorado  river.  A  very- 
large  spring  rises  in  the  south  end  of  the  narrow  part.  It  was  on  the 
north  side  of  this  spring  the  emigrants  were  camped.  The  bank  rises 
from  the  spring  eight  or  ten  feet,  then  extends  off  to  the  north  about 
two  hundred  yards  on  a  level.  A  range  of  hills  is  there  reached, 
rising  perhaps  fifty  or  sixty  feet.  Back  of  this  range  is  quite  a  valley, 
which  extends  down  until  it  has  an  outlet,  three  or  four  hundred  yards 
below  the  spring,  into  the  main  Meadow. 

The  first  attack  was  made  by  going  down  this  ravine,  then  follow- 
ing up  the  bed  of  the  spring  to  near  it,  then  at  daylight  firing  upon 
the  men  who  were  about  the  camp-fires  ;  in  which  attack  ten  or 
twelve  of  the  emigrants  were  killed  or  wounded,  the  stock  of  the  emi- 
grants having  been  previously  driven  behind  the  hill  and  np  the 
ravine.  The  emigrants  soon  got  in  condition  to  repel  the  attack, 
shoved  their  wagons  together,  sunk  the  wheels  in  the  earth,  and  threw 
up  quite  an  entrenchment.  The  fighting  after  continued  as  a  siege, 
the  assailants  occupying  the  hill,  and  firing  at  any  of  the  emigrants 
that  exposed  themselves,  having  a  barricade  of  stones  along  the  crest 
of  the  hill  as  a  protection.  The  siege  was  continued  for  five  days,  the 
besiegers  appearing  in  the  garb  of  Indians.  The  Mormons  seeing  that 
they  could  not  capture  the  train  without  making  some  sacrifice  of  life 
on  their  part,  and  getting  weary  of  the  fight,  resolved  to  accomplish 
by  strategy  what  they  were  not  able  to  do  by  force.  The  fight  had 
been  going  on  for  five  days,  and  np  aid  is  received  from  any  quarter, 
although  the  family  of  Jacob  Hamlin,  the  Indian  agent,  were  living 
in  the  upper  end  of  the  Meadow,  and  within  hearing  of  the  reports  of 
the  guns. 

Who  can  imagine  the  feelings  of  these  men,  women,  and  children, 
surrounded,  as  they  supposed  themselves  to  be,  by  savages.  Fathers 
and  mothers  only  can  judge  what  they  must  have  beea.  Far  off  in 
the  Rocky  mountains,  without  transportation — for  their  cattle,  horses, 
and  mules  had  been  run  off — not  knowing  what  their  fate  was  to  be, 
we  can  but  poorly  realize  the  gloom  that  pervaded  the  camp. 

A  wagon  is  descried  far  up  the  meadows.  Upon  its  nearer  ap- 
proach it  is  observed  to  contain  armed  men.  See !  now  they  raise  a 


19 

white  flag.  All  is  joy  in  the  corral.  A  general  shout  is  raised,  and 
in  an  instant  a  little  girl  dressed  in  white  is  placed  at  an  opening  be- 
tween two  of  the  wagons  as  a  response  to  the  signal.  The  wagon 
approaches — the  occupants  are  welcomed  into  the  corral.  The  emi- 
grants little  suspecting  that  they  were  entertaining  the  fiends  that, 
had  been  besieging  them. 

This  wagon  contained  President  Haight,  and  Bishop  John  D.  Lee, 
among  others  of  the  Mormon  church.  They  professed  to  be  on  good 
terras  with  the  Indians,  and  represented  the  Indians  as  being  very  mad 
They  also  proposed  to  intercede  and  settle  the  matter  with  the  In- 
dians. After  several  hours  of  parley,  they  having  apparently  visited 
the  Indians,  gave  the  ultimatum  of  the  Indians,  which  was  that  the 
emigrants  should  march  out  of  their  camp,  leaving  everything  behind 
them,  even  their  guns.  It  was  promised  by  the  Mormon  bishops  that 
they  would  bring  a  force  and  guard  the  emigrants  back  to  the  set- 
tlements. 

The  terms  were  agreed  to  ;  the  emigrants  being  desirous  of  saving 
the  lives  of  their  families.  The  Mormons  retired  and  subsequently 
appeared  at  the  corral  with  thirty  or  forty  armed  men.  The  emi- 
grants were  marched  out,  the  women  and  children  in  front  and  the 
men  behind,  the  Mormon  guard  being  in  the  rear.  When  they  had 
marched  in  this  way  about  a  mile,  at  a  given  signal  the  slaughter  com- 
menced. The  men  were  most  all  shot  down  at  the  first  fire  from  the 
guard.  Two  only  escaped,  who  fled  to  the  desert,  and  were  followed 
150  miles  before  they  were  overtaken  and  slaughtered. 

The  women  and  children  ran  on  two  or  three  hundred  yards  furth- 
er, when  they  were  overtaken,  and  with  the  aid  of  the  Indians  th,e^ 
were  slaughtered.  Seventeen  only  of  the  small  children  were  saved, 
the  eldest  being  about  seven  years.  Thus,  on  the  LOth  day  of  Sep- 
tember, 1857,  was  consummated  one  of  the  most  cruel,  cowardly  and 
bloody  murders  known  in  our  history.  Upon  the  way  from  th* 
meadows,  a  young  Indian  pointed  out  to  me  the  .place  where  thje  Moifr- 
mons  painted  and  disguised  themselves. 

I  went  from  the  Meadows  to  Cedar  city ;  the  distance  is  35  or  40 
miles.  I  contemplated  holding  an  examining  court  there,  should 
General  Johnson  furnish  me  protection,  and  also  protect  witnesses  and 
furnish  the  marshal  a  posse  to  aid  in  making  arrests.  While  there  I 
issued  warrants  on  affidavits  filed  before  me  for  the  arrest  of  the  fol- 
lowing named  persons. 

"  Jacob  Haight,  President  of  the  Cedar  City  stake,  Bishop  John  M. 
Higbee,  and  Bishop  John  D.  Lee,  Columbus  Freeman,  William  Slade, 

John  Willis,  William  Riggs, Ingram,  Daniel  McFarlan,  Wil- 

Stewart,  Ira  Allen  and  son,  Thomas  Cartwright,  E.  Welean,  William 


20 

Halley,  Jabes  Nomlen,  John  Mangum,  Jarnes  Price,  John  W.  Adair, 

Tyler,  Joseph  Smith,  Samuel  Pollock,  John  McFarlan,  Nephi 

Johnson,  • •  Thornton,  Joel  White,  Harrison,  Chas. 

Hopkins,  Joseph  Elang,  Samuel  Lewis,  Sims  Matheny,  James  Mangum, 
Harrison  Pierce,  Samuel  Adair,  F.  C.  McDulange,  Wm.  Bateman, 
Ezra  Curtis,  and  Alexander  Loveridge." 

In  a.  few  days  after  arriving  at  Cedar  City,  Capt.  Campbell  arrived 
with  his  command  from  the  Meadows ;  on  his  return  he  advised  me 
that  he  h.ad  received  orders  for  his  command  entire  to  return  to  Camp 
Floyd.  The  General  having  received  orders  from  Washington  that 
the  military  should  not  be  used  in  protecting  the  Courts,  or  in  acting 
as  a  possee  to  aid  the  Marshal  in  making  arrests. 

While  at  Cedar  City  I  was  visited  by  a  number  of  apostate  Mormons 
who  gave  me  every  assurance  that  they  would  furnish  an  abundance 
of  evidence  in  regard  to.  the  matter,  so  soon  as  they  were  assured  of 
military  protection.  In  fact,  some  of  the  persons  engaged  in  the  act 
came  to  see  me  in  the  night,  and  gave  a  full  account  of  the  matter, 
intending,  when  protection  was  at  hand,  to  become  witnesses.  They 
claimed  that  they  had  been  forced  into  the  matter  by  the  Bishops. 
Their  statements  corroborated  what  the  Indians  had  previously  said 
to  me.  Mr.  Rodgers,  the  Deputy  Marshal,  was  also  engaged  in  hunt- 
ing up  the  children,  survivors  of  the  massacre.  They  were  all  found 
in  the  custody  of  the  Mormons.  Three  or  four  of  the  eldest  recollect 
and  relate  all  the  incidents  of  the  massacre,  corroborating  the  state- 
ment of  the  Indians,  and  the  statements  made,  by  the  citizens  of  Cedar 
City  to  me. 

These  children  are  now  in  the  south  part  of  Missouri,  or  north  part 
of  Arkansas ;  their  testimony  could  soon  be  taken  if  desired.  No  one 
can  depict  the  glee  of  these  infants  when  they  realized  that  they  were 
in  the  custody  of  what  they  called  "the  Americans,"  for  such  is  the 
designation  of  those  not  Mormons.  They  say  they  never  were  in  the 
custody  of  the  Indians.  I  recollect  of  one  of  them,  "John  Calvin 
Sorrow,"  after  he  found  he  was  safe,  and  before  he  was  brought  away 
from  Salt  Lake  city,  although  not  yet  nine  years  of  age,  sitting  in  a 
contemplative  mood,  no  doubt  thinking  of  the  exterminatiop  of  his 
family,  say,  "Oh,  I  wish  I  was  a  man,  I  know  what  I  would  do;  I 
would  shoot  John  D.  Lee ;  I  saw  him  shoot  my  mother."  I  shall 
never  forget  how  he  looked. 

Time  will  not  permit  me  to  elaborate  this  matter.  I  shall  barely 
sum  up  and  refer  every  member  of  this  house  who  may  have  the  least 
doubt  about  the  guilt  of  the  Mormons  in  this  massacre,  and  the  other 
crimes  to  which  I  have  alluded,  to  the  evidence  published  in  the  ap- 
hereto. 


21 

t 
The  Indians  would   not  have  saved  the  infant  children  from  the 

slaughter.  Neither  could  they  have  induced  the  "  emigrants"  to  have 
left  their  protected  position.  It  should  also  be  borne  in  mind  that 
Brigham  Youug  at  the  time  claimed  to  be,  and  was  acting  as  Super- 
intendant  of  Indian  affairs  in  the  Territory.  There  is  now  pending 
in  this  house  a  claim  for  thirty  or  forty  thousand  dollars,  which  in- 
cludes about  four  thousand  dollars  for  goods  distributed  by  John  D. 
Lee  to  the  Indians  about  the  Mountain  Meadows,  within  twenty  days 
after  the  massacre ;  and  also  includes  pay  to  Lee  while  he  was  en- 
gaged in  the  commission  of  the  massacre.  Whether  Brigham  will 
get  it  or  not,  I  do  not  know.  This,  however,  I  do  know,  that  some 
two  years  ago  Congress  passed  an  act  to  pay  to  the  Territory  of  Utah 
some  fifty-two  thousand  dollars,  for  amount  paid  by  the  Territory  in 
suppressing  Indian  hostilities  in  the  Territory  in  the  years  1852  and 
1853.  I  have  before  me  every  law  passed  in  the  Territory,  every 
appropriation  made  by  the  legislature,  and  the  statement  of  the  Terri- 
torial Auditor  of  Accounts.  I  defy  the  delegate  from  Utah  to  show 
that  there  was  ever  appropriated  or  paid  from  the  Treasury  of  the 
Territory  an  amount  to  exceed  three  thousand  four  hundred  dollars. 
It  never  was  done.  But  you  know  Brigham  says  "  that  he  has  the 
most  adroit  scoundrels  in  the  world  in  Zion,  and  that  he  can  beat  their 
sharpest  shavers"  So  there  is  no  telling  but  in  his  persevering  he 
may  succeed  in  procuring  his  demands  for  murdering,  and  expenses  of 
endeavoring  to  purchase  the  Indians  to  aid  him  in  his  rebellion.  The 
present  claim  was  all  made  while  Utah  was  in  rebellion. 

Why  was  it  that  Brigham  did  not  report  this  massacre  at  the 
Mountain  Meadows  ?  Why,  if  he  was  acting  as  Superintendant  of 
Indian  Affairs  did  he  not  make  report  of  the  property  taken  at  the 
massacre.  And  let  me  ask  (my  conjugal  friend,)  the  delegate  from 
Utah,  why  it  was  that  the  Deseret  News,  the  Church  organ  and  only 
paper  published  in  the  Territory,  for  months  after  failed  to  notice  the 
massacre,  even  after  it  was  well  known  in  the  States,  and  when  it 
did  so,  only  did  it  to  say  the  Mormons  were  not  engaged  in  it. 
Will  the  delegate  please  answer  me  these  questions  ? 

The  motives  which  the  Mormons  had  in  the  massacre  was  re- 
venge for  the  killing  of  Parley  Pratt,  a  leading  Mormon,  who,  while  in 
the  act  of  running  another  man's  wife  and  children  through  Arkansas 
to  Utah,  was  overtaken  by  the  outraged  husband,  and  slain — the  Ar- 
kansas courts  refusing  to  punish  the  perpetrator.  They,  in  addition, 
no  doubt,  were  also  actuated  by  a  desire  to  possess  themselves  of  the 
great  amount  of  stock  and  property  of  the  emigrants,  supposed  to  be 
worth  sixty  or  seventy  thousand  dollars. 

This  was   emphatically  "getting  the  Lord's  property,"  as  HEBER 


22 

KEMBALL  expresses  it,  "  without  getting  in  debt  to  the  LortTs  enemies 
for  it." 

The  surviving  children,  after  they  were  recovered  and  on  the  way 
back,  frequently  pointed  out  carriages  and  stock  that  belonged  to  the 
train,  stating  to  whom  it  belonged. 

A  great  portion  of  the  property  was  taken  to  Cedar  City,  deposited 
in  the  tithing  office,  and  then  sold  out ;  the  bed  clothes  upon  which 
the  wounded  had  been  laying,  and  those  taken  from  the  dead,  were 
piled  in  the  back  room  of  the  tithing  office  and  allowed  to  remain  for 
so  great  a  length  of  time  that  when  I  was  there,  eighteen  months  after, 
the  room  was  still  offensive. 

"What  a  commentary  upon  the  condition  of  affairs  in  our  country ! 
Mormonism  revelling  upon  the  spoils  obtained  by  murder,  while  sev- 
enteen orphan  children  are  turned  penniless  upon  the  world.  Yet 
that  world  has  "  no  ear  to  hear,  no  eye  to  see,  no  heart  to  feel,  no  arm 
to  bring  deliverance."  That  we  should  allow  such  a  condition  of 
affairs  to  exist  is  shameful,  disgraceful  to  us  all.  The  disgrace  does  not 
alone  attach  to  the  weak,  imbecile  administration  of  James  Buchanan 
and  his  legal  adviser,  who  lent  himself  to  prevent  the  judiciary  of 
Utah  from  investigating  the  horible  crimes  that  had  been  committed 
in  that  Territory,  and  aided  in  shielding  the  criminals,  but  we  are  all 
guilty,  and  should  be  so  held  until  we,  by  force,  if  necessary,  compel 
restitution  to  the  fatherless  children,  so  far  as  it  can  be  made. 

That  you  may  not  conclude  that  I  do  the  Mormons  injustice  in 
charging  upon  them  this  horrible  massacre,  I  shall  publish  in  the 
Appendix  to  my  remarks  reports  of  different  Government  officials  who 
have  visited  that  section  of  our  country. 

Major,  now  General  Carlton,  visited  that  region' — he  also  corrobo- 
rates all  that  is  contained  in  the  abstracts  I  make  from  official  reports. 
At  the  time  he  was  there,  he  erected  a  monument  to  the  memory  of 
the  dead.  It  was  constructed  by  raising  a  large  pile  of  rock,  in  the 
centre  of  which  was  erected  a  beam  some  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  in 
height.  Upon  one  of  the  stones  he  caused  to  be  engraved — (<  Here 
lie  the  bones  of  120  men,  women,  and  children,  from  Arkansas,  mur- 
dered on  the  10th  day  of  September,  1857."  Upon  a  cross-tree  on 
the  beam  he  caused  to  be  painted — "  Vengeance  is  mine,  saith  the 
Lord,  and  I  will  repay  it."  This  monument  is  said  to  have  been  de- 
stroyed the  first  time  Brigham  visited  that  part  of  the  Territory. 

It  has  been  said  that  we  have  courts  in  Utah,  and  the  question  is 
frequently  asked,  why  do  not  the  courts  act  ?  The  uniform  testimony 
of  the  judges  is  to  the  effect  that  the  courts  are  powerless.  More  than 
fifteen  Federal  judges,  who  have  gone  to  the  Territory,  have  so  stated. 
They  have  again  and  again  told  you  that  the  entire  legislation  of  the 


23 

Territory  is  to  prevent  the  administration  of  the  laws ;  that  the  church 
authorities  are  determined  that  the  laws  shall  not  be  enforced  in  the 
Federal  courts;  that  the  grand  and  trial  jurors  are  Mormons,  who  are 
taught  that  the  Mormon  Church  laws  are  the  higher  laws,  and 
should  prevail,  and  who  refuse,  therefore,  to  discharge  their  sworn 
duties,  and  have  invariably  refused  to  punish  any  Mormon  for  an 
offence  committed  against  an  anti-Mormon.  To  such  an  extent  has 

O 

this  been  carried,  that  although  the  valleys  of  Salt  Lake  have  been 
replete  with  robberies  and  murders,  yet  the  records  of  the  courts  do 
not  show  a  single  instance  of  the  punishment  of  a  Mormon  for  an 
offence  committed  against  a  "  Gentile." 

This  is  painfully  manifest  in  the  history  which  I  now  give  of  a  term 
of  the  court  held  by  my  colleague,  Hon.  CHAS.  E.  SINCLAIR,  who  con- 
vened his  court  in  Great  Salt  Lake  city  on  the  8th  day  of  July,  1859  : 

The  Mormon  grand  jury,  ever  ready  to  use  the  laws  for  their  protection, 
but  never  willing  to  prosecute  a  Mormon  for  his  crimes,  promptly  found  a  bill 
of  indictment  against  one  Ralph  Pike,  a  sergeant  in  Co.  I,  of  the  10th  infantry, 
United  States  army,  for  an  assault  with  intent  to  kill,  committed  upon  one 
Howard  Spencer,  the  son  of  a  Mormon  bishop,  at  the  military  reserve  in  Rush 
valley.  A  company  of  soldiers  were  stationed  on  the  reserve  to  guard  the 
hay  of  the  Government  stacked  there.  Spencer  had  been  in  the  habit,  at 
every  opportunity,  of  driving  his  cattle  to  these  hay  stacks.  Sergeant  Pike 
was  ordered  to  take  a  file  of  men,  and  drive  off  Spencer  and  his  cattle.  "When 
Sergeant  Pike  approached  Spencer,  the  latter  refused  to  go,  seized  a  pitch-fork 
lying  by,  and  attempted  to  stab  the  sergeant  with  it.  Pike  clubbed  his  mus- 
ket, struck  Spencer  on  the  head,  slightly  fracturing  his  skull.  Upon  capias 
issued,  Pike  was  arrested  and  brought  to  Great  Salt  Lake  city.  The  day  fol- 
lowing, (Aug.  llth,)  about  12  o'clock  m.,  as  Pike  was  entering  the  Salt  Lake 
House,  on  Main  street,  to  get  his  dinner,  Spencer  stepped  up  to  him  from  be- 
hind, saying :  "  Are  you  the  man  that  struck  me  in  Rush  valley  ?"  at  the  same 
time  drawing  his  pistol,  shot  him  through  the  side,  inflicting  a  mortal  wound. 
Spencer  ran  across  the  street,  mounted  his  horse,  and  rode  off,  accompanied 
by  several  noted  "Danites."  The  guard,  who  attempted  to  fire  at  Spencer, 
were  prevented  by  the  police.  Pike  lingered  in  dreadful  agony  two  days 
before  he  died.  He  was  highly  esteemed  in  the  army  as  an  amiable,  manly, 
and  gentlemanly  soldier.  The  "Deseret  News,"  (the  church  organ,)  at  its  nest 
issue,  lauded  young  Spencer  for  his  courage  and  bravery. 

In  the  winter  of  1857 -'58,  one  Franklin  McNeil  was  incarcerated  in  prison, 
being  put  in  irons  during  the  'Mormon  war,'  for  no  other  crime  than  being  an 
American  citizen.  Frank  sued  Brigham  Young  for  false  imprisonment  on  the 
2d  day  of  August.  The  day  preceding  the  appointed  time  for  trial,  Frank  was 
called  to  the  door  of  his  boarding-house,  just  after  dark,  by  some  unknown 
person,  and  shot  down.  He  died  from  his  wound  next  morning,  and  thus  the 
suit  was  abated.  The  murderer  was  never  discovered. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  Drown  brought  suit,  upon  a  promissory  note  for 
$480,  against  the  Danite  captain,  Bill  Hickman.  The  case  being  submitted  to 
the  court,  Drown  obtained  a  judgment.  A  few  days  after,  Drown  and  a  com- 


panion  named  Arnold  were  stopping  at  the  house  of  a  friend,  in  Salt  Lake  city, 
where  Hickman,  with  some  seven  or  eight  of  his  band,  rode  up  to  the  House, 
and  called  for  Drown  to  come  out.  Drown,  suspecting  foul  play,  refused  to 
do  so,  and  locked  the  doors.  The  '  Danites '  thereupon  dismounted  from 
their  horses,  broke  down  the  doors,  and  shot  dowu  both  Drown  and  Arnold. 
Drown  died  of  his  wounds  next  morning,  and  Arnold  a  few  days  later.  Hick- 
man and  his  band  rode  off  unmolested. 

Thus,  during  the  short  term  of  Judge  SINCLAIR'S  court,  the  earnest  labors  of 
its  officers  accomplished  no  good.  On  the  contrary,  as  it  appears,  the  majesty 
and  power  of  the  court  was  used  to  tie  the  hands  of  an  innocent  man,  and  lead 
him  as  a  helpless  victim  to  be  ruthlessly  shot  down  without  the  power  of  self- 
defence,  whilst  at  the  same  time  it  protected  his  murderer  by  holding  the 
strong  arm  of  the  law  in  terror  over  those  who  would  dare  to  take  justice  in 
their  own  hands  and  punish  the  assassin  of  their  friend.  Thus,  during  a  single 
term  of  the  court,  held  in  a  Mormon  community,  the  warm  life-blood  of  four 
human  victims  is  shed  upon  the  very  threshold  of  the  court,  and  although  the 
grand  jury  is  in  session,  no  prosecution  is  attempted,  and  not  one  of  the 
offenders  will  ever  be  punished. 

This  man  Howard  Spencer  is  now  in,  Salt  Lake  City,  and  has  been 
ever  since.  This  the  learned  delegate  from  the  Territory  will  not 
deny. 

With  the  history  of  one  more  case,  and  I  will  conclude.  In  the 
summer  of  1858  David  McKenzie  was  arrested  charged  with  engrav- 
ing plates  for  counterfeiting  Government  drafts  on  the  ^Treasury  at 
St.  Louis.  The  evidence  showed  that  the  engraving  had  been  done  in 
the  upper  part  of  the  Deseret  Store  in  Salt  Lake  City.  This  store  is 
within  the  enclosure  of  Brigham's  Young's  premises,  the  same  being 
walled  in  with  a  stone  wall  some  12  or  14  feet  in  height.  Judge 
Eckels,  who  issued  the  warrant,  directed  the  Marshal,  Peter  K.  Dot- 
son,  to  seize  the  plates,  and  any  other  matter  that  might  be  found  in 
the  room  where  the  engraving  had  been  done,  which  would  establish 
the  offense.  The  Marshal  accordingly  went  to  the  room  and  seized  the 
plate.  He  also  found  another  plate  there,  belonging,  as  it  since  ap- 
pears, to  Brigham  Young,  and  used  for  striking  off  the  Deseret  cur- 
rency ;  and,  observing  that  the  copper-plate  upon  which  the  coun- 
terfeit engraving  had  been  made  had  been  cut  off  one  side  of  Brigham's 
Deseret  currency  plate  he  brought  away  with  him  the  currency  plate. 
After  the  trial  Brigham  refused  to  take  them  back,  but  brought  his  ac- 
tion against  the  Marshal,  P.  K.  Dotson,  in  the  Probate  Court.  Probate 
courts  throughout  the  Territory  held  in  violation  of  the  organic  act, 
are  dignified  into  courts  of  co-equal  jurisdiction  with  the  Federal  courts. 
It  is  one  of  Brigham's  methods  of  destroying  and  nullifying  the  Fed- 
eral courts.  He  installs  into  these  Probate  Courts  his  most  devoted 
creatures.  An  appeal  can  be  made  from  these  courts  to  the  District 
Court,  but  the  appeal  is  almost  always  refused.  I  defy  the  delegate 


25 

to  show  that  Brigham  ever  brought  an  action  in  one  of  these  creature 
courts  of  his  in  which  he  did  not  succeed.  Of  course  lie  obtained  a 
judgment  against  Marshal  Dotson  for  some  twenty-six  hundred  dol- 
lars. It  would  have  been  as  much  more  if  he  had  only  said  the  word. 
An  appeal  is  refused  ;  execution  is  issued  ;  Dotson's  property  is  sold 
and  he  is  turned  out  of  his  house — a  property  that  would  rent  for  five 
hundred  dollars  per  annum — Brigham's  agent  having  bought  it  in. 
Thus  a  good,  efficient  officer  is  ruined  in  Utah  for  having  faithfully 
endeavored  to  prevent  fraud  upon  the  Government  Treasury. 

I  have  the  plates  here,  (exhibiting  them.)  I  have  shown  them  to 
engravers  in  the  city,  and  they  tell  me  the  original  cost  of  making 
them  could  not  be  more  than  five  or  six  hundred  dollars,  and  say  that 
they  can  be  put  in  as  good  order  as  ever  they  were  for  twenty-five 
dollars.  No  stronger  evidence  could  be  adduced  showing  the  abso- 
lute control  of  Brigham  Young  over  the  courts  of  Utah. 

The  Federal  courts  are  powerless  to  do  good,  and  are  used  only 
when  they  can  subserve  the  purposes  of  the  Mormons. 

The.  weak,  timid,  temporizing,  cowardly  policy  which  has  ever 
been  pursued  towards  Utah  by  the  Federal  Government  has  only  led 
to  disorganization  and  anarchy  and  to  the  open  violation  of  the  most 
sacred  rights,  and  has  exhibited  Utah  before  the  world  as  the  gloomy 
theatre  where  murder  and  robbery  alternately  shift  the  scene. 

The  Courts  being  deprived  of  aid  and  protection  in  the  administra- 
tion of  the  law,  no  arrests  can  be  made,  and  no  criminals  brought  to 
punishment. 

Marshal  Dotson,  holding  warrants  for  the  arrest  of  almost  a  hun- 
dred murderers,  including  the  participators  in  the  horrible  butcheries 
at  the  Mountain  Meadows,  is  compelled  to  return  those  warrants  un- 
executed for  the  reason,  as  lie  solemnly  states,  that  he  has  not  the 
ability  to  serve  them.  In  utter  disgust  he  resigns  his  office  ;  and  in 
this  connection  his  letter  of  resignation,  addressed  to  the  President,  is 
worthy  of  perusal : 

"  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  Crrr,  U.  T., 

"August  1,  1859. 
"  To  his  Excellency  JAMES  BUCHANAN, 

"  President  of  the  United  States  : 

"SIR:  I  hereby  tender  to  your  Excellency  my  resignation  as  United  States 
Marshal  of  the  Territory  of  Utah,  to  take  effect  from  the  20th  inst. 

"  In  tendering  this,  my  resignation,  I  deem  it  to  be  rny  duty  to  warn  you 
that  the  policy  of  your  Administration  has  been  fatal  to  Federal  supremacy 
in  Utah,  and  can  only  tend  to  build  up,  consolidate,  and  perpetuate  the  politi- 
cal and  ecclesiastical  power  of  Brigham  Young  and  his  successors. 

''The  unasked,  and  to  this  day  derided  pardon  extended  to  treason,  has  only 
tended  to  encourage  traitors,  and  the  presence  of  Federal  troops  crippled  and 


26 

humiliated  by  the  instructions  and  restrictions  imposed  on  them,  serves  only 
the  purpose  of  enriching  the  coffers  of  the  Mormon  church  and  of  subserving 
the  ends  of  Mormon  polity. 

"The  courts  of  the  United  States  in  the  Territory,  powerless  to  do  good  in 
dreadful  mockery  of  justice,  are  compelled  to  lend  the  power  and  majesty  of 
the  law  to  subserve  the  evil  designs  of  the  very  criminals  they  seek  to  punish. 
Impotent  to  protect  innocence  they  encourage  crime. 

"The  Federal  officers  of  the  Territory,  opposed  and  annoyed  continually  by 
those  -whose  cordial  support  and  co-operation  could  alone  enable  them  effectu- 
ally to  sustain  the  dignity  of  the  positions  which  they  occupy,  are  as  forms 
without  substance,  shadows  without  reality. 

"Though  willing  to  serve  the  administration  from  whick  I  received  my  ap- 
pointment, I  cannot  remain  an  officer  of  the  Government,  without  the  power 
to  maintain  its  dignity. 

*  *  *    '  *  *  *  *  * 

"I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"P.  K.  DOTSON, 
"  United  States  Marshal  for  Utah  Territory" 

T  have  endeavored  to  set  before  you  a  fair  and  impartial  abstract  of 
Mormonism  and  its  results  as  practically  exhibited,  I  am  aw*e  that 
compelled  by  lack  of  time,  the  review  has  necessarily  been  meagre. 
I  have,  however,  endeavored  to  bring  out  the  salient  points,  and  if  I 
know  myself,  have  nothing  extenuated  nor  set  down  aught  in  malice. 
I  have  given  to  you  nothing  but  what  the  truth  of  history  will  prove. 

I  take  it  for  granted  that  what  I  have  shown,  clearly  establishes 
that  the  system  of  poligamy  in  Utah  is  distasteful  to  the  female  portion 
of  the  community,  and  that  the  manner  in  which  it  is  enforced  is  but 
a  system  of  enslaving  the  women,  and  of  enforcing  their  subjection 
to  the  lustful  desires  of  the  hoary  headed  leaders  of  the  church. 

I  have  also  shown  that  they  teach  and  practice  the  crime  of  rob- 
bery under  the  assumed  garb  of  religion,  and  that  they  also  teach  and 
practice  the  doctrine  of  shedding  of  blood  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
I  have  given  to  you  instance  after  instance  wherein  they  have  com- 
mitted their  robberies  and  murders.  I  might  continue  the  catalogue 
if  it  was  necessary. 

The  question  now  presented  is,  shall  this  system  be  permanently  fas- 
tened upon  our  body  politic.  It  may  be  said  that  under  the  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States,  every  man  is  guaranteed  the  right  to 
worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience,  and 
that  the  Government  has  no  right  to  interfere  with  this  people  in  the 
practice  of  their  religious  faith.  I  deny  that  the  Constitution  con- 
templates the  protection  of  every  class  of  persons  who  may  assume 
to  themselves  a  religious  faith  at  war  with  the  most  cherished  senti- 
ments of  virtue  and  morality  throughout  the  Christian  and  civilized 


27 

world.  I  contend  that  we  owe  it  as  a  duty  to  manifest  our  disappro- 
bation of  practices  and  doctrines  so  odious,  and  that  it  is  our  duty  to 
retain  this  Mormon  people  under  the  general  jurisdiction  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, so  that  their  institutions  may  be  reached  by  Federal  legisla- 
tion if  necessary,  and  thus  show  in  a  most  indubitable  manner  that 
we  are  unwilling  that  the  stain  and  disgrace  shall  be  fastened  upon 
us.  It  is  a  duty  enjoined  upon  us  by  the  common  obligations  of  jus- 
tice and  humanity. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  mass  of  the  Mormon  community 
are  misled  in  their  errors  by  a  set  of  heartless  fanatical  leaders. 
Their  success  may  be  much  attributed  to  their  isolation.  That  isola- 
tion, the  fast  filling  up  of  the  great  basin,  because  of  its  vast 
mineral  deposits,  will  soon  do  away  with.  Nevada  now  has  a 
population  equal  to  Utah.  Thriving  towns  and  cities  are  springing 
up  on  the  Humboldt  river,  and  in  near  proximity  to  the  Mormons. 
Brigham  sees  this,  and  he  knows  and  feels  that  he  must  place  himself 
in  a  position  to  prevent  the  consequences  to  his  system  which  will 
grow  out  of  this  contiguity  of  settlement.  He  feels  that  he  cannot 
keep  his  women  where  they  have  a  change  to  get  away,  unless  he  can 
protect  himself  by  legislation,  further  than  he  is  able  to  do  while  his 
community  remains  under  the  general  jurisdiction  of  our  Government. 
It  is  on  that  account  that  he  manifests  so  great  a  desire  to  become  an 
independent  State.  I  say  he  desires  to  become  a  State,  for  under  his 
tyranical  sway,  and  with  the  system  that  is  now  prevalent,  Brigham 
would  be  the  State,  and  the  State  would  be  Brigham. 

I  say,  again,  there  does  exist,  on  the  part  of  this  Government,  an 
obligation  to  withhold  from  the  Mormon  people,  as  far  as  lies  in  the 
power  of  the  Government,  the  means  of  fostering  and  perpetuating 
this  system.  It  is  involved  in  the  general  duty  of  preserving  untar- 
nished the  fair  fame  of  our  country;  it  is  enjoined  by  self-respect  and 
the  promptings  of  an  enlightened  humanity.  The  civilized  world 
would  view  with  reprobation  and  disgust,  and  the  American  heart 
would  shrink  with  shame  at  the  admission  of  Utah  in  the  family  of 
States  upon  an  equality  with  other  States  of  the  Union. 

The  people  of  Utah  have  nothing  but  ill  will  towards  our  Govern- 
ment. The  great 'masses  know  nothing  of  our  institutions — they  come 
to  Zion,  not  to  America.  They  are  hurried  through  the  settled  por- 
tions of  our  country  without  being  allowed  to  become  acquainted 
with  our  people  or  institutions.  Upon  arriving  in  Utah  they  hear 
nothing  but  abuse  of  our  people — the  whole  fountain  of  patriotism  is 
polluted,  and  they  are  taught  that  they  owe  neither  allegiance  or  love 
to  our  Government.  Treason  and  insubordination  are  openly  taught. 
God  forbid  that  this  people  should  be  admitted  into  the  Union  as  an 


independent  State.  I  protest  against  it  in  the  name  of  humanity, 
which  would  be  violated  by  the  admission !  I  protest  against  it  on 
behalf  of  my  constituents,  who  have  a  deep  interest  in  the  institutions 
that  are  to  prevail  in  the  great  American  basin !  I  protest  against  it 
in  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  the  murdered  victims  of  the  cruel  Mor- 
mon faith,  whose  mouldering  bones  are  bleaching  in  almost  every 
valley  in  the  Territory !  I  protest  against  it  on  behalf  of  the  down- 
trodden and  undone  women  of  Utah,  who,  with  their  female  posterity, 
in  all  time  to  come,  will  bless  those  that  would  not  aid  in  keeping 
them  in  bondage ! 


APPENDIX. 


MASSACRE  AT  THE  MOUNTAIN  MEADOWS— MURDER  OF 

THE  PARISHES  AND  POTTER— MURDER  OF  THE 

AIKEN  PARTY— MURDER  OF  JONES  AND 

HIS  MOTHER— MURDER  OF  FORBES. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  "DANITE"  ORGANIZATION, 


FORT  BRIDGER,  UTAH, 

December  4,  185*7. 

*  *  *  #  *  *  * 

On  the  tenth  day  of  September  last,  George  "W.  Hancock,  a  merchant  in  the 
town  of  Payson,  came  to  the  Indian  settlements  to  look  at  some  fat  cattle  that 
I  proposed  selling,  and  in  the  course  of  conversation,  said  that  he  had  learned 
that  the  California  emigrants  on  the  southern  route  had  got  themselves  into  a 
very  serious  difficulty  with  the  Piedes,  who  had  given  them  to  understand  that 
they  could  not  pass  through  their  country,  and  on  attempting  to  disregard  this 
injunction,  found  themselves  surrounded  by  the  Indians,  and  compelled  to  seek 
shelter  behind  their  wagons.  He  said  he  had  learned  these  facts  from  an  ex- 
press man,  who  passed  his  house  that  morning  with  a  message  from  the  Indians 
to  President  Young,  inquiring  of  him  what  they  must  do  with  the  Americans. 
The  express  man  had  been  allowed  one  hundred  consecutive  hours  in  which  to 
perform  the  trip  of  nearly  three  hundred  miles  and  return,  which  Mr.  Hancock 
felt  confident  he  would  do.  On  the  day  following,  one  of  the  Utah  Indians, 
who  had  been  absent  for  some  days  gathering  pine  nuts,  west  of  the  Sevier 
lake,  returned,  and  said  that  the  Mormons  had  killed  all  the  emigrants.  He 
said  he  learned  this  news  from  a  band  of  the  Piedes,  but  could  not  tell  when 
the  fight  occurred,  or  how  many  had  been  killed.  One  of  the  Utahs,  named 
Spoods,  came  to  the  farm  on  the  morning  of  the  14th,  having  traveled  all  night, 
and  also  confirmed  the  report  of  the  difficulty  between  the  emigrants  and  the 
Piedes,  but  stated  that  when  hie  brother  Ammon  (chief,  who  lives  in  the  Piede 
country,)  went  to  Iron  county  to  persuade  the  Piedes  to  leave  the  road,  the 
bishop  told  him  that  he  had  no  business  with  the  Piedes,  and  had  better  leave  ; 
whereupon  an  altercation  arose  between  the  bishop  and  the  chief. 

Spoods  thought  that  the  Piedes  had  been  set  upon  the  emigrants  by  the 
Mormons. 

It  soon  began  to  be  talked  among  the  employees  at  the  farm  that  all  the  emi- 
£r?.^.t3  on  the  southern  road  had  been  killed  by  the  Piede  Indians,  and  the  re- 


30 

port  was  confirmed  by  several  other  persons  who  visited  the  farm ;  but  the 
Indians  insisted  that  Mormons,  and  not  Indians,  had  killed  the  Americans. 

This  affair  had  become  so  much  the  subject  of  conversation,  that,  on  the  17th, 
I  started  an  Indian  boy,  named  Pete,  who  speaks  the  English  language  quite 
fluently,  with  instructions  to  proceed  to  Iron  county  on  a  secret  route,  and  to 
learn  from  the  Piedes  if  possible,  and  also  from  the  Utahs,  what  the  nature  of 
the  difficulty  was,  and  who  were  the  instigators  of  it.  He  returned  on  the 
23d,  and  reported  that  lie  only  went  to  Ammon's  village,  in  Beaver  county, 
where  he  met  a  large  band  of  the  Piedes,  who  had  just  returned  from  Iron 
county 

They  acknowledged  having  participated  in  the  massacre  of  the  emigrants, 
but  said  that  the  Mormons  persuaded  them  into  it.  They  said  that  about  ten  or 
eleven  sleeps  ago,  John  D.  Lee  came  to  this  village,  and  told  them  that  Ameri- 
cans were  ver}7  bad  people,  and  always  made  a  rule  to  kill  Indians  whenever 
they  had  a  chance.  He  said,  also,  that  they  had  often  killed  the  Mormons, 
who  were  friends  to  the  Indians.  He  then  prevailed  on  them  to  attack  the 
emigrants,  who  were  then  passing  through  the  country,  (about  one  hundred  in 
number,)  and  promised  them  that  if  they  were  not  strong  enough  to  whip 
them,  the  Mormons  would  help  them.  The  Piedes  made  the  attack,  but  were 
repulsed  on  three  different  occasions,  when  Lee  and  the  bishop  of  Ceder  City, 
with  a  number  af  Mormons,  approached  the  camp  of  the  emigrants,  under  pre- 
text of  trying  to  settle  the  difficulty,  and  with  lying,  seductive  overtures,  suc- 
ceeded in  inducing  the  emigrants  to  lay  down  their  weapons  of  defense  and 
admit  them  and  their  savage  allies  inside  of  their  breastworks,  when  the  work 
of  destruction  began,  and,  in  the  language  of  the  unsophisticated  boy,  "  they 
cut  all  of  their  throats  but  a  few  that  started  to  run  off,  and  the  Piedes  shot  them?' 
He  also  stated  that  there  were  some  fifteen  or  sixteen  small  children  that  were 
not  killed,  and  were  in  charge  of  the  bishop. 

Lee  and  the  bishop  took  all  the  stock,  [over  a  thousand  head,]  as  also  a  large 
amount  of  money.  The  Mormon  version  of  this  affair  is  that  the  Piedes  went 
to  the  emigrant  camp  -and  aaked  for  meat,  and  they  gave  them  beef  with 
strychnine  upon  it,  and  that  when  Brigham  learned  this  fact,  he  sent  word 
back  to  them  "to  do  with  the  Americans  as  they  thought  proper."  But  I  have 
not  yet  been  able  to  learn  that  the  strychnine  had  killed  any  of  the  Indians,  or 
even  made  them  sick.  A  report  also  reached  the  Indian  farm  on  Spanish  Fork* 
about  the  15th  of  September,  that  the  Snake  Indians,  under  a  chief  named 
Little  Soldier,  had  attacked  an  emigrant,  named  Sqnires,  from  Missouri,  who 
was  camped  near  Ogden,  and  driven  off  all  his  cattle,  [over  four  hundred,]  to- 
gether with  all  the  mulas  and  horses  belonging  to  him.  But  the  Utahs  made 
no  hesitation  in  asserting  that  the  Mormons  took  the  stock  themselves,  and  that 
they  had  learned  all  about  it  from  some  Gosh-Utes  who  live  in  Rush  valley. 

In  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  this  report  of  the  Utahs,  I  learned  a  few 
days  ago  from  Ben  Simon,  a  Delaware  Indian,  who  lives  with  the  Snakes  in 
Weaber  valley,  that  sometime  in  the  early  part  of  September,  Dirnick  B.  Hunt- 
ington,  [interpreter  for  Brigham  Young,]  and  Bishop  West,  of  Ogden,  came  to 
the  Snake  village,  and  told  the  Indians  that  Brigham  wanted  them  to  run  off 
the  emigrants'  cattle,  and  if  they  w.ould  do  so  they  might  have  them  as  their 
own.  Simon  says  the  Snake  chiefs  consulted  him  about  the  propriety  of  under- 
taking the  theft,  and  he  advised  them  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  cattle, 
which  course  they  concluded  to  adopt,  but  Huntington  and  West  insisted  on 


31 

their  taking  the  stock ;  whereupon  the  chiefs  told  them  that  they  did  not  want 
it,  and  if  the  Mormons  wanted  it  let  them  go  and  get  it  themselves,  and  so  the 
interview  ended.  Simon  thinks  that  if  any  of  the  Indians  had  anything  to  do 
with  it  they  were  hired  by  the  Mormons,  and  says  that  he  knows  that  the  Mor- 
mons got  the  stock. 

It  may  be  objected  by  the  incredulous  that  those  charges  are  too  vague  and 
uncertain,  and  deficient  in  point  of  names  and  dates ;  in  answer  to  which  I 
would  say,  that  the  commission  of  these  crimes  need  no  proof,  there  existence 
being  generally  admitted.  The  only  questions  to  be  determined  are  who  insti- 
gated them?  and  whose  testimony  is  deserving  the  most  credit — the  Mormons 
or  the  Indians?  And  under  existing  circumstances  I  am  free  to  say  that  I  pre- 
fer yielding  my  credence  to  the  more  unsophisticated.  I  have  frequently  been 
told  by  the  chiefs  of  the  Utahs,  that  Brigham  Young  was  trying  to  bribe  them 
to  join  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States  by  offering  them  guns,  ammuni- 
tion, and  blankets,  on  condition  that  they  would  assist  in  opposing  the  advance 
of  the  United  States  troops  into  the  Territory,  and  he  has  not  only  made  these 
overtures  by  his  agents,  but  has  at  sundry  times  made  them  in  person.  How 
far  he  may  have  succeeded  in  his  plots  of  treason,  at  the  expense  of  the  gov- 
ernment, may  not  as  yet  be  fully  known  and  understood,  but  one  thing  is  cer- 
tain, that  the  more  powerful  tribes  of  the  Utahs  and  Snakes  have  so  far  resist- 
ed all  the  allurements  that  have  been  offered  them  and  kept  themselves  untram- 
meled  by  this  unholy  alliance,  and  I  am  proud  to  say  that  they  manifest  no 

inclination  whatever  to  participate  in  it. 

*  ***** 

FORT  BRIDGER,  July,  6,  1859. 

MAJOR  :  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that,  in  pursuance  of  instructions 
received  from  the  adjutant  general's  office  of  this  department,  dated  April  17, 
1859,  I  left  Camp  Floyd,  Utah  Territory,  on  the  21st  of  April,  1859,  to  pro- 
ceed to  Santa  Clara,  in  order  to  protect  travellers  on  the  road  to  California, 
and  to  inquire  into  certain  depredations  said  to  have  been  committed  by  the 
Indians  in  that  vicinity. 

My  command  consisted  of  one  company  of  dragoons  and  two  coin  panics  of 
infantry. 

Nothing  of  interest  occurred  until  my  arrival  at  the  Mountain  Meadows, 
which  are  situated  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  south  of  Camp  Floyd, 
and  on  the  southern  rim  of  the  basin.  Here  I  found  human  skulls-,  bones,  and 
hair,  scattered  about,  and  scraps  of  clothing  of  men,  women,  and  children.  I 
saw  one  girl's  dress,  apparently  that  of  a  child  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age. 
These  were  the  remains  of  a  party  of  peaceful  inhabitants  of  the  United 
States,  consisting  of  men,  women,  and  children,  and  numbering  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty,  who  were  removing  with  their  effects  from  the  State  of 
Arkansas  to  the  State  of  California.  These  emigrants  were. here  met  by  the 
Mormons  (assisted  by  such  of  the  wretched  Indians  of  the  neighborhood  as 
they  could  force  or  persuade  to  join,)  and  massacred,  with  the  exception  of 
such  infant  children  that  the  Mormons  thought  too  young  to  remember  or 
tell  of  the  affair.  The  Mormons  had  their  faces  painted  so  as  to  disguise 
themselves  as  Indians. 

The  Mormons  were  led  on  by  John  D.  Lee,  then  a  high  dignitary  in  the  self- 
styled  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,  and  Isaac  Haight,  now  ft 
dignitary  in  the  same. 


32 

This  affair  began  by  a  surprise.  The  emigrants  were  encamped  near  a 
spring  from  which  there  is  a  ravine.  Along  this  ravine  the  Mormons  and 
Indians  crept  to  the  spring  during  the  night.  When  the  emigrants  arose  in 
the  morning  they  were  fired  upon,  and  some  twelve  or  fifteen  of  them  killed. 
The  emigrants  then  seized  their  arms  and  defended  themselves  so  bravely 
that,  after  four  days,  the  Mormons  and  Indians  had  not  succeeded  in  extermi- 
nating them.  This  horrid  affair  was  finished  by  an  act  of  treachery.  John 
D.  Lee,  having  washed  the  paint  from  his  face,  came  to  the  emigrants  and 
told  them  that  if  they  would  surrender  themselves,  and  give  their  property 
to  the  Indians,  that  the  Mormons  would  conduct  them  safely  back  to  Cedar 
City.  The  emigrants  then  surrendered,  with  their  wives  and  children.  They 
were  taken  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  spring,  where  they,  their  wives 
and  their  children,  (with  the  exception  of  some  infants,)  were  ruthlessly 
killed. 

The  infante  were  taken  to  Cedar  City,  where  they  were  either  sold  or 
given  away  to  such  of  the  Mormons  as  desired  them.  It  is  a  notorious  fact 
that  these  infants  never  have  been  with  the  Indians.  The  property  of  the 
emigrants  was  taken  to  Cedar  City,  where  it  was  put  up  at  public  auction 
and  sold. 

These  facts  were  derived  from  the  children  who  did  remember  and  could 
tell  of  the  matter,  from  Indians,  and  from  the  Mormons  themselves.  This  affair 
occurred  in  the  month  of  September,  in  1857. 

On  leaving  the  Mountain  Meadows,  I  proceeded  on  with  my  command  to 
the  river  Santa  Clara,  where  I  arrived  on  the  8th*  of  May,  1859.  I  sent  for 
Jackson,  the  chief  of  the  tribe,  said  to  be  most  hostile  to  the  Americans.  He 
acknowledged  that  he  had  committed  some  outrages  on  the  people  of  the 
United  States.  He  made  the  most  humble  protestations  of  future  good  con- 
duct, in  which  I  put  some  reliance,  if  he  is  not  encouraged  to  commit  overt 
acts  by  the  Mormons.  These  Indians  are  a  miserable  eet  of  root-diggers,  and 
nothing  is  to  be  apprehended  from  them  but  by  the  smallest  and  most  careless 
party. 

The  commanding  general  having  concluded  that  the  objects  of  the  expedi- 
tion were  accomplished,  I  returned  to  Camp  Floyd,  Utah  Territory,  agreeably 
to  his  instructions. 

J  am  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

R.  P.  CAMPBELL, 
Capt.  Second  Dragoons,  Goirig  Santa  Clara  Expedition. 

Major  F.  J.  PORTER, 

Assistant  Adjutant  General  U.  S.  Army, 

Camp  Floyd,  Utah  Territory. 


12  c. 

CAMP  AT  MOUNTAIN  MEADOWS, 

Utah  Territory,  May  6,  1859. 

CAPIAIN  :  I  have  the  honor  to  report,  that  this  morning,  accompanied  by 
the  detachment  of  men  furnished  by  your  orders,  I  proceeded  to  inter  the  re- 
mains of  the  men,  women,  And  children  of  the  Arkansas  emigrant  train,  mas- 


33 

sacred  by  the  Mormons  at  the  Mountain   Meadows,  Utah  Territory,  in  the 
month  of  September,  1857. 

At  the  scene  of  the  first  attack,  in  the  immediate  rieinjty  of  our  present  camp, 
marked  by  a  small  defensive  trench  made  by  the  emigrants,  a  number  of  human 
skulls  and  bones,  and  hair,  were  found  scattered  about,  bearing  the  appearance 
of  never  having  beenburied;  also  remnants  of  bedding  and  wearing  apparel. 

On  examining  the  trenches  or  excavations,  which  appear  to  have  been  with- 
in the  corral,  and  within  which  *it  was  supposed  some  written  account  of  the 
massacre  might  have  been  concealed,  some  few  human  bones,  human  hair,  and 
what  seemed  to  be  the  feathers  of  bedding,  only  were  discerned. 

Proceeding  twenty-five  hundred  yards  m  a  direction  N.  15°  W.,  I  reached  .a 
ravine  fifty  yards  distant  from  the  road,  bordered  by  a  few  bushes  of  scrub 
oak,  in  which  I  found  portions  of  the  skeletons  of  many  bodies — skulls,  bones, 
ftnd  matted  hair — most  of  which,  on  examination,  I  concluded  to  be  those  of 
men.  Three  hundred  and  fifty  yards  further  op,  and  in  the  same  direction, 
another  assembly  of  human  remains  were  found,  which,  by  all  appearance,  had 
been  left  to  decay  upon  the  surface.  Skulls  and  bones,  most  of  which  I  be- 
lieved to  be  those  of  women,  also  of  children,  probably  ranging  from  six  to 
twelve  years  of  age.  Here,  too,  were  found  masses  of  women's  hair,  children's 
bonnets,  such  as  are  generally  used  upon  the  plains,  and  pieces  of  lace,  muslin, 
calicoes,  and  other  material,  part  of  women's  and  children's  apparel.  I  have 
buried  thirteen  skulls  and  many  more  scattered  fragments. 

Some  of  the  remains  above  referred  to  were  found  upon  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  with  a  little  earth  partially  covering  them,  and  at  the  place  where 
the  men  were  massacred ;  some  lightly  buried,  but  the  majority  were  scattered 
about  upon  the  plain.  Many  of  the  skulls  bore  marks  of  violence,  being 
pierced  with  bullet  holes,  or  shattered  by  heavy  blows,  or  cleft  with  some 
sharp- edged  instrument.  The  bones  were  bleached  and  worn  by  long  exposure 
to  the  elements,  and  bore  the  impress  of  the  teeth  of  wolves  or  other  wild  animals. 

The  skulls  found  upon  the  ground  near  the  spring,  or  position  of  first  attack 
and  adjoining  our  camp,  were  eight  in  number.  These,  with  the  other  re- 
mains there  found,  were  buried,  under  my  supervision,  at  the  base  of  the  hill 
upon  the  hill-side  of  the  valley. 

At  the  rate,  250  yards  distant  from  the  spring,  the  relative  positions  and 
general  appearance  of  the  remains  seemed  to  indicate  that  the  men  were  there 
taken  by  surprise  and  massacred.  Some  of  the  skulls  showed  that  fire-arma 
had  been  discharged  close  to  the  head.  I  have  buried  eighteen  skulls  and 
parts  of  many  more  skeletons,  found  scattered  over  the  space  of  a  mile  towards 
the  lines,  in  which  direction  they  were  no  doubt  dragged  by  the  wolves. 

No  names  were  found  upon  any  article  of  apparel,  or  any  pecnliarity  in  the 
remains,  with  the  exception  of  one  bone,  the  upper  jaw,  in  which  the  teeth 
were  very  closely  crowded,  and  which  contained  one  front  tooth  more  thau 
is  generally  found. 

Under  my  direction,  the  above  mentioned  remains  were  all  properly  buried, 
the  respective  locality  being  marked  with  mounds  of  stone. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  captain,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

CHARLES  BREWER, 
Assistant  Surgeon  United  States  SLrmy. 

Captain  R.  P.  CAMPBELL, 

Second  Dragoons,  Commanding  Paymaster's  Escort. 

3 


34 

PROVO  CITY,  U.  T.,  March  18,  1859. 

SIR  :  I  left  Salt  Lake  City  last  Sunday  to  visit  the  southern  Indians,  and  to 
bring  the  seventeen  chiMren  remaining  from  the  massacre  in  September,  1857, 
to  Salt  Lake  city,  or  adjacent  to  it. 

****** 

I  am  in  possession  of  the  facts  of  the  murders  in  June  and  October,  and  have, 
within  twenty  days,  received  highly  important  and  reliable  information  of  the 
Mountain  Meadow  butchering  affair.  With  the  facts  in  my  possession  now,  I 
may  succeed  in  recovering  some  of  the  property.  Facts  in  my  possession 
warrant  me  in  estimating  that  there  was  distributed,  a  few  days  after  the  mas- 
sacre, among  the  leading  church  dignitaries,  $30,000  worth  of  property.  It  is 
presumable  they  also  had  some  money. 

I  will  make  such  inquiry  about  this  extraordinary  affair  as  contingent  cir- 
cumstances will  admit.  I  know  that  the  Indians  are  bad  enough  ;  I  am  aware, 
also,  that  it  is,  and  especially  has  been,  exceedingly  convenient  to  implicate 
the  Indians  in  all  such  cases. 

****** 

I  remain,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  FORNEY, 

Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  U.  T. 
Hon.  J.  W.  DENVER, 

Comm'r  of  Indian  Affairs,  Washington,  D.  C. 


SUPERINTENDENT'S  OFFICE,  UTAH, 
Great  Salt  Lake  City,  August,  1859. 

SIR:  It  has  been  my  intention,  for  some  weeks  past,  to  give  you  a  more  full 
statement  than  heretofore  given  of  the  Mountain  Meadow  tragedy,  and  of  the 
children  saved  from  it. 

A  massacre  of  such  unparalleled  magnitude  on  American  soil  must  necessa- 
rily excite  much  interest  ia  the  public  mind.  From  information  received  from 
various  sources  during  the  last  twelve  months,  I  am  enabled  to  give  you  a  re- 
liable account  of  the  emigrant  company  in  question,  and  the  children  remain- 
ing, and  also  some  of  the  causes  and  circumstances  of  the  inhuman  massacre. 

The  company  was  composed  of  about  thirty  families,  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty  to  one  hundred  and  forty  persons,  and,  I  think,  principally  from  John- 
ston county,  Arkansas. 

I  have  deemed  it  a  matter  of  material  importance  to  make  strict  inquiry 
relative  to  the  general  behavior  and  conduct  of  the  company  towards  the  peo- 
ple of  this  Territory  in  their  journey  through  it,  and  am  justified  in  saying 
that  they  conducted  themselves  with  propriety. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  the  said  company  was  abundantly  supplied 
with  traveling  and  extra  horses,  .cattle,  <fec.  They  had  about  thirty  good 
wagons,  and  about  thirty  mules  and  horses,  and  six  hundred  head  of  cattle, 
when  passing  through  Provo  City,  Utah  Territory.  At  Corn  Creek,  fifteen 
miles  from  Fillmore  City,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  five  miles  south  of  this 
city,  th$  company  camped  several  days.  At  this  place,  and  within  a  few  miles 
of  the  Indian  farm,  (commenced  a  few  years  ago  for  the  Pah-vant  tribe,  and 
all  living  on  it,)  it  is  alleged  that  the  said  emigrant  company  treated  the  In- 
dians most  inhumanly ;  such  as  poisoning  a  spring  with  arsenic,  and  impreg- 


35 

nating  dead  cattle  with  strychnine.   John.D.  Lee,  living  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  south  of  Fillmore,  informed  me  that  about  twenty  Indiana  and  s 
cattle  died  from  drinking  of  the  poisoned  water,  and  Indians  from  eating 
poisoned  meat. 

Dr.  Ray,  of  Fillmore  City,  assured  me  that  one  of  his  oxen  died  while  the 
company  was  encamped  in  the  neighborhood,  and  that  his  wife,  while  engaged 
in  rendering  the  tallow  of  the  dead  ox,  became  suddenly  ill,  and  that  a  boy 
who  was  assisting  her  died  in  a  few  days. 

I  have  not  been  apprised  of  any  investigation  at  the  time  by  the  Indian 
officials  who  were  then  in  the  Territory,  or  of  an  official  investigation  by  the 
proper  authorities  of  Fillmore.  It  seems  obvious  that  Dr.  Ray's  ox  died  about 
the  time  these  unfortunate  people  were  camped  in  the  neighborhood.  I  cannot 
learn,  however,  of  any  difficulty  the  company  had  with  the  Pah-vant  Indians 
while  camped  near  them.  The  ox  died  unquestionably  from  eating  a  poison- 
ous weed  that  grows  in  most  of  the  valleys  in  this  Territory,  and  it  is  by  no 
means  uncommon  for  cattle  to  get  poisoned  and  die  from  the  effects  of  this 
weed.  One  or  two  Indians  died  from  eating  of  the  dead  ox,  but  I  have  not 
been  apprised  that  this  excited  any  of  them  against  the  emigrants.  And  after 
strict  inquiry  I  cannot  learn  that  even  one  Pah-vant  Indian  was  present  at  the 
massacre.  Those  persons  in  Fillmore,  and  further  South,  who  believe  that  a 
spring  was  poisoned  with  arsenic,  and  the  meat  of  a  dead  ox  with  strychnine, 
by  said  company,  may  be  honest  in  their  belief,  and  attribute  the  cause  of  the 
massacre  to  the  alleged  poisoning.  Why  an  emigrant  company,  and  especially 
farmers,  would  carry  with  them  so  much  deadly  poison  is  incomprehensible. 
I  regard  the  poisoning  affair  as  entitled  to  no  consideration.  In  my  opinion, 
bad  men,  for  a  bad  purpose,  have  magnified  a  natural  circumstance  for  the  per- 
petration of  a  crime  that  has  no  parallel  in  American  history  for  atrocity. 

I  hear  nothing  more  of  the  emigrant  company  until  their  arrival  in  Moun- 
tain M«adow  valley,  abo.ut  the  2d  or  3d  of  September,  1857.  This  valley  is 
seven  miles  in  length  east  and  west,  and  one  to  three  wide — a  large  spring  at 
each  end.  In  about  the  centre,  and  from  north  to  southeast,  is  what  is  termed 
the  "rim  of  the  basin."  East  of  this  the  waters  go  to  the  lakes  of  Utah  Ter- 
ritory, and  those  west  into  the  Pacific.  The  valley  is  well  hemmed  in  by  high 
hills  or  mountains ;  is  almost  a  continuous  meadow,  affording  an  abundance  of 
pasture. 

At  the  spring  in  the  east  end  is  a  house  and  corral,  occupied  in  September, 
1857,  by  Mr.  Jacob  Hamblin.  It  is  due  to  Mr.  Hamblin  to  say  that  he  left 
home  several  weeks  before  the  company  arrived  in  the  valley,  and  returned 
home  several  days  after  the  massacre. 

David  Tulis  (was  living  with  Mr.  Hamblin)  saya,:  "  The  company  passed  by 
the  house  on  Friday,  September  2d  or  3d,  towards  evening ;  that  it  was  a 
large  and  respectable-looking  company.  One  of  the  men  rode  up  to  where  I 
was  working,  and  asked  if  there  was  water  ahead.  I  said,  yes.  The  person 
who  rode  up  behaved  civilly.  The  company  camped  at  the  spring  in  the  weafc 
end  of  the  valley.  I  heard  firing  on  Monday  morning,  and  for  four  or  five 
mornings  afterwards;  if  there  had  been  firing  during  the  day,  \  could  not 
have  heard  it  on  account  of  the  wind." 

I  then  asked  Mr.  Tulis  the  following  questions,  and  received  answers,  to 
wit: 

1.  When  you  heard  the  firing  first,  what  was  your  opinion  of  its  cause? 


36 

Answer.  I  believed  it  was  the  Indians  fighting  the  emigrant  company  camp- 
ed at  the  spring  at  the  other  end  of  tlie  valley. 

2.  Why  did  you  not  notify  the  nearest  settlement? 

Answer.  I  thought  or  expected  that  the  people  of  the  nearest  settlement 
knew  of  the  fight. 

3.  Why  did  you  suppose  so  ? 

Answer.  Because  I  saw  Indians  riding  back  and  forwards  on  the  road. 

4.  Was  you  afraid  ? 
Answer.    I  was  a  little  timid. 

5.  How  soon  did  you  see  white  men  ? 

Answer.  Two  or  three  days  afterwards — that  is,  after  the  massacre ;  these 
persons  looked  like  travellers.  I  think  they  went  to  bury  the  dead. 

6.  Did  you  see  many  Indians  during-  the  fight? 

Answer.  During  the  fighting  the  Indians  continued  to  run  to  and  fro  on  the 
road. 

7.  How  many  were  in  the  train  ? 

Answer.  I  suppose  70  to  100 ;  there  seemed  to  be  a  good  many  women  and 
children. 

8.  Did  you  hear  any  talk  about  the  massacre  ? 
Answer.  Yes. 

9.  What  did  you  hear  was  the  cause  of  the  massacre  ? 

Answer.  I  heard  afterwards :  because  the  emigrant  party  poisoned  the 
spring  or  some  cattle  at  Corn  creek. 

10.  What  was  your  opinion  of  the  cause? 

Answer.  I  thought  there  must  have  been  some  fuss  with  the  Indians  along 
the  road  somewhere.  I  heard  that  the  emigrant  party  had  poisoned  a  spring 
at  Corn  creek. 

11.  What  became  of  the  property? 

Answer.  The  Indians  drove  all  the  cattle  and  horses  away.  I  heard  they 
burned  the  wagons  where  they  were  camped. 

12.  What  was  done  with  the  children  immediately  after  the  massacre? 
Answer.  I  heard  the  Indians  took  them  to  Cedar  City.      I  also  saw  the 

Indians  drive  some  cattle  towards  Cedar  City. 

13.  Did  you  ever  see  any  of  the  property  in  the  possession  of  whites  ? 
Answer.  No. 

14.  Did  you  ever  hear  any  one  talk  about  the  property  ? 
Answer.  No. 

15.  Did  you  ever  hear  of  any  one  escaping  from  the  fight  or  massacre? 
Answer.  I  heard  of  one ;  and  he  was  afterwards  killed  at  the  Muddy  or  Los 

Vagos  river. 

This  is  part  of  the  statement  of  D.  Tulis,  made  to  me  in  presence  of  Wm. 
H.  Rodgers,  April  13  last,  -while  on  my  trip  to  Santa  Clara.  He  was  travel- 
ling with  us  from  Painter  creek. 

I  will  give  you  a  few  extracts  from  the  statements  by  Alfred,  who  is  a  civil- 
ked  Shoshonee  Indian,  raised  by  Mr.  Jacob  Hamblin,  and  was  then  and  is  still 
living  with  him.  Alfred  says : 

"  I  saw  the  company  passing  our  house  about  sundown.  It  was  a  large  com- 
pany. They  camped  at  the  spring  in  the  other  end  of  the  valley.  A  day  or 
two  after  passing  our  house,  I  heard  firing  when  in  bed ;  it  continued  all  day 
four  days. 


3T 

Question.  "Why  did  you  not  go  there  ? 

Answer.  I  had  not  time.  I  was  attending  to  the  sheep.  The  time  they 
were  killed,  I  was  about  a  mile  from  them.  I  saw  some  Indians  killing  them. 
They  shot  some  with  arrows  and  guns,  and  others  were  killed  with  clubs.  I 
talked  with  some  of  the  Indians  (the  day  they  were  killed ;)  they  were  mad, 
and  I  was  afraid  to  talk  much  to  them.  Some  of  the  Indians,  during  the  four 
or  five  days  firing,  rode  to  and  fro  towards  Painter  Creek  settlement,  about 
ten  miles  east  of  the  Mountain  Meadow  valley ;  they  were  riding  over  the 
hills,  and  riding  very  fast. 

Question.  Why  did  you  not,  during  the  four  or  five  days  firing,  notify  the 
people  of  Painter  Creek  and  Cedar  City  of  the  fight  ? 

Answer.  I  told  Mr.  Tulis  and  those  at  the  house,  when  I  came  in  from  herd- 
ing, about  the  Indians  fighting  the  emigrants.  Mr.  Tulis  told  me  to  mind  my 
business  and  attend  to  my  herding.  I  saw  the  Indians  killing  the  whites. 

Question.  How  did  the  emigrants  get  out  of  the  corral  ? 

Answer.  They  thought  the  Indians  had  all  left,  and  then  they  started  out, 
and  were  coming  to  our  house,  and  when  they  were  about  a  mile  from  the 
wagons,  the  Indians,  who  were  hid  .behind  oak  brush  and  sage,  fell  on  them. 
I  went  to  the  place  the  same  day,  and  saw  the  dead  lying  about.  Some  were 
stript,  and  some  were  dressed.  The  Indians  were  mad,  scolding  and  quarrel- 
ling. I  saw  the  children  going  past  our  house.  (Mr.  Hamblin's.)  All  the  chil- 
dren stopped  at  our  house. 

Question.  Who  brought  the  children  to  Mr.  Hamblin's  house? 

Answer.  Mr.  David  Tulis  brought  them  all  to  our  house  in  a  wagon  about 
dark,  the  same  evening  of  the  day  of  the  massacre. 

Question.  Was  Mr.  Jacob  Hamblin  at  home  when  the  company  arrived  in  the 
valley  and  the  day  of  the  massacre  ? 

Answer.  He  left  home  several  weeks  before  the  company  arrived,  and  re- 
turned several  days  after  the  massacre. 

These  person's  lived  at  Mr.  Hamblin's,  and  within  three  and  a  half  miles  of 
the  spot  where  the  killing  was  done ;  yet  neither  were  there,  if  one  is  to  be- 
lieve them. 

I  conclude,  from  the  most  reliable  information,  that  the  company  promiscu- 
ously camped  near  the  spring,  intending  to  remain  some  days  to  recruit  the 
stock,  preparatory  to  crossing  the  several  deserts  before  reaching  California. 
They  had  no  apprehension  of  serious  danger  when  they  first  readied  the  val- 
ley, and  for  several  days  afterwards,  or -from  Friday  until  Monday  morning. 
The  company  then  corralled  the  wagoms,  and  made  a  protective  fort,  by  filling 
with  earth  the  space  under  the  wagons.  I  saw  the  evidences  of  this  last 
April. 

In  pursuance  to  arrangements,  the  first  attack  was  made  on  the  unfortunate 
company  by  Indians  on  Monday  morning,  and  continued  daily  until  Friday 
morning,  September  0.  The  camp  was  surrounded  continually,  preventing 
any  one  from  leaving  the  corral  without  hazarding  life,  during  five  or  six  days. 

It  is  impossible  to  comprehend  the  immense  suffering.  On  the  fatal  morning 
two  wagons  approached  the  corral,  and  several  whites  effected  a  compromise, 
the  emigrants  giving  up  all  their  arms,  with  the  assurance  that  the  lives  of  all 
should  be  saved  and  conducted  back  in  safety  to  Cedar  City.  The  company 
started  under  the  care  and  direction  of  white  men;  the  wounded,  old  women, 
and  children  were  taken  in  the  two  wagons.  They  proceeded  about  one  and 


a  half  mile  toward  Cedar,  when  suddenly,  and  in  obedience  to  a  signal,  th« 
work  of  death  commenced.  The  murderers  were  secreted  in  a  few  acres  of 
oak  brush  and  sage,  the  only  thing  of  the  kind  I  saw  in  the  valley.  My  im- 
pression is  that  from  one  hundred  and  fifteen  to  on*  hundred  and  twenty  wer« 
there  murdered.  Several  escaped  ;  only  three  got  out  of  the  valley ;  two  of 
whom  were  soon  overtaken  and  shot  down.  One  adult  got  as  far  as  the  Muddy, 
and  was  returning  with  two  persons  from  California ;  but  he  was  also  overta- 
ken and  shot  by  Indians. 

From  the  evidence  in  my  possession,  I  am  justified  in  the  declaration  that 
this  massacre  was  concocted  by  white  men  and  consummated  by  whites  and  In- 
dians. The  names  of  many  of  the  whites  engaged  in  this  terrible  affair  have 
already  been  given  to  the  proper  legal  authorities. 

I  will  in  due  time  take  the  necessary  steps  for  the  recovery  of  the  property, 
which  was  sold  and  divided  among  certain  parties. 

The  seventeen  little  children,  all  that  I  can  learn  of,  were  taken  after  the 
massacre  to  Mr.  Hamblin's  House  by  John  D.  Lee,  David  Tulis,  and  others,  in 
a  wagon,  either  the  same  evening  or  the  following  morning.  The  children 
were  sold  out  to  different  persons  in  Cedar  City,  Harmony,  and  Painter  Creek. 
Bills  are  now  in  my  possession  from  different  individuals,  asking  payment  from 
the  Government.  I  cannot  condescend  to  become  the  medium  of  even  trans- 
mitting such  claims  to  the  department. 

Below  is  a  list  of  the  children  recovered  by  me  and  brought  to  this  city, 
fifteen  of  whom  are  now  en  route  to  Arkansas,  and  two  detained  to  giv« 
evidence. 

John  Calvin  Sorel ;  Lewis  and  Mary  Sorel ;  Ambrose  Miram,  and  William 
Taggit ;  Frances  Horn;  Angeline,  Annie,  and  Sophronia  or  Mary  Huff;  Ephraim 
W.  Huff;  Charles  and  Annie  Francher;  Betsey  and  Jane  Baker;  Rebecoa, 
Louisa,  and  Sarah  Dunlap ;  William  (Welch)  Baker. 

I  remain,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  FORNEY. 
Supt,  Indian  Affairs,  Utah  Territory. 

Hon.  A.  B.  GREENWOOD, 

Com.  of  Indian  Affairs,  Washington,  D.  C. 


John  D.  Lee,  a  Mormon  president,  has  knowledge  of  the  whereabouts  of 
much  of  the  property  taken  from  these  ill-fated  emigrant,  and,  if  I  am  not  mis- 
informed, in  possession  of  a  large  quantity  of  it.  Why  not  make  him  disgorge 
this  ill-gotten  plunder,  and  disclose  the  amount  escheated  to  and  sold  out  by 
the  Mormon  Church  as  its  share  of  the  blood  of  helpless  victims  ?  When  h« 
enters  into  a  league  with  hell  and  a  covenant  with  death,  he  should  not  be 
allowed  to  make  feasts  and  entertain  government  officials  at  his  table  as  he  did 
Dr.  Jacob  Forney,  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs,  while  the  rest  of  his  party 
refused,  in  his  hearing  and  that  of  Lee,  to  share  the  hospitality  of  this  noto- 
rioiis  murderer — THIS  SCOURGE  OF  THE  DESERT.  This  man  Lee  does  not  deny,  but 
admits  that  he  was  present  at  the  massacre,  but  pretends  that  he  was  there  to 
prevent  bloodshed ;  but  positive  evidence  implicates  him  as  the  leader  of  the 
murderers  too  deeply  for  denial.  The  children  point  him  out  as  one  of  them 
that  did  the  bloody  work.  He  and  other  white  men  had  these  children,  and 
they  never  were  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  but  in  those  who  murdered  them 
and  Jacob  Hamlin  and  Jacob  Forney  know  it.  The  children  pointed  out  to 


39 

us  the  dresses  and  jewelry  of  their  mothers  and  sisters  that  now  grace  the 
angelic  forms  of  these  murderers'  women  and  children.  Verily  it  would  seem 
that  men  and  women  alike  combined  in  this  wholesale  slaughter. 

This  ill-fated  train  consisted  of  eighteen  wagons,  eight  hundred  and  twenty 
head  of  cattle,  household  goods  to  a  large  amount,  besides  money,  estimated 
at  eighty  or  ninety  thousand  dollars,  the  greater  part  of  which,  it  is  believed , 
now  makes  rich  the  harems  of  this  John  D.  Lee.  Of  this  train  a  man,  whose 
name  is  unknown,  fortunately  escaped  at  the  time  of  the  massacre  to  Vegas, 
one  hundred  miles  distant  from  the  scene  of  blood,  oh  the  Califordia  road.  H« 
was  followed  by  five  Mormons,  who  through  promises  of  safety,  &c.,  prevailed 
upon  him  to  begin  his  return  to  Mountain  Meadows,  and,  contrary  to  their 
promises  and  his  just  expectation,  they  inhumanly  butched  him,  laughing  at 
and  disregarding  his  loud  and  repeated  cries  for  mercy  ;  as  witnessed  and 
told  by  Ira  Hatch,  one  of  the  five.  The  object  in  killing  this  man  was  to  leave 
no  witness  competent  to  give  testimony  in  a  court  of  justice,  but  God,  whose 
ways  are  inscrutable,  has  thought  proper,  through  the  instrumentality  of 
the  "babes  and  sucklings"  recovered  by  us,  to  bring  to  light  this  most  horrible 
tradgedy,  and  make  known  its  barbarous  and  inhuman  perpetrators. 

Already  a  step  has  been  taken  by  Judge  Cradlebaugh  in  the  right  direction, 
of  which  we  see  the  evidence  in  the  flight  of  presidents,  bishops,  and  elders  to 
the  mountains,  to  escape  the  just  penalty  of  the  law  for  their  crimes.  If  the 
vengeance  of  the  Lord  is  slow,  it  is  equally  sure.  The  Mormons  who  know 
better,  have  reported  that  the  principals,  and  in  fact,  all  the  actors  in  this 
fearful  massacre,  were  Indian  savages ;  but  subsequent  events  have  thrown 
Bufficient  light  upon  this  mystery  to  fix  the  foul  blot  indellibly  upon  the 
Mormon  escutcheon.  Many  of  the  leaders  are  well  known.  John  D.  Lee  was 
the  commander-in-chief.  President  Haight  and  Bishop  Smith,  of  Cedar  City, 
and,  besides  these,  one  hundred  actors  and  accomplices,  are  known  to  Judge 
Cradlebaugh  and  Dr.  Forney.  JAMES  LYNCH. 

James  Lynch,  being  duly  sworn,  states  on  oath  that  all  the  material  facts, 
stated  by  him  in  the  foregoing  affidavit,  so  far  as  he  states  the  same  as  of  his 
own  knowledge  are  true,  and  so  far  as  he  states  the  same  as  from  information 
derived  from  others,  as  also  the  conclusions  drawn  from  the  same,  he  believes 
to  be  true,  and  further  saith  not.  JAMES  LYNCH. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  July  27,  1859. 

D.  R.  ECKELS, 
Chief  Justice  of  Supreme  Court. 

The  undersigned  state  on  oath,  that  the  foregoing  affidavit  has  been  care- 
fully read  to  them  ;  that  they  are  the  identical  persons  named  in  it  as  having 
been  employed  by  Dr.  Jacob  Forney  to  return  with  him  to  Salt  Lake  City  ;  that 
they  went  from  Beaver  City  with  said  Forney  south,  and  back  again,  and  that 
•we  fully  concur  in  the  statements  made  by  James  Lynch,  Esq.,  in  the  foregoing 
affidavit,  as  to  what  we  saw  and  heard  on  the  trip,  and  the  conduct  of  Dr. 
Forney,  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs,  and  further  say  not. 

THOMAS  DUNN, 
JOHN  LOFINK. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me,  July  27,  1859.  D.  R.  ECKELS, 

Chief  Justice  of  Supreme  Court. 


40 

SUPERINTENDENT'S  OFFICE,  UTAH, 
Great  Salt  Lake  City,  Semptember  22,  1859. 

SIR:  Your  letter  dated  July  2,  in  which  you  request  me  to  ascertain  the 
names  of  white  men,  if  any,  implicated  in  the  Mountain  Meadow  massacre, 
reached  me  several  weeks  since,  about  300  miles  west  of  this  city. 

I  gave  several  months  ago  to  the  Attorney  General  and  several  of  the 
United  States  judges,  the  names  of  those  who  I  believed  were  not  only  im- 
plicated, but  the  hell-deserving  scoundrels  who  concocted  and  brought  to  a 
successful  termination  of  the  whole  affair. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  persons  the  most  guilty:  Isaac  T, 
Haight,  Cedar  City,  president  of  several  settlements  south  :  Bishop  Smith, 
Cedar  City  ;  John  D.  Lee,  Harmony;  John  M.  Higby,  Cedar  City;  Bishop 
Davis,  D;avid  Tullis,  Santa  Clara ;  Ira  Hatch,  Santa  Clara.  These  were  the 
cause  of  the  massacre,  aided  by  others.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  nothing  hai 
yet  been  accomplished  towards  bringing  these  murderers  to  justice. 
I  remain,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  FORNEY, 

Sup't  of  Indian  Affairs,  Utah  Territory. 
Hon.  A.  B.  GREENWOOD, 

Commissioner  Indian  Affairs,  Washington,  D.  C. 


Extract  from  Superintendent  Forney'*   annual  report  of  September  29,   1859. 

MOUNTAIN    MEADOW   MASSACRE. 

A  company  of  emigrants  from  Arkansas,  emigrating  to  California,  arrived 
and  camped  at  a  spring  in  the  west  end  of  Mountain  Meadow  valley  on  the 
3d  or  4th  September,  1857.  On  the  9th  of  said  month,  and  near  the  said 
spring,  one  hundred  and  fifteen  to  one  huhdred  and  twenty  were  inhumanly 
messacred.  The  lives  of  seventeen  children  were  spared,  who  were  from  two 
months  to  seven  years  old.  This  massacre  was  brought  to  my  official  notice  by 
a  letter  from  the  Hon.  C.  E.  Mix,  received  June,,  1858,  instructing  me  to  make 
inquiry,  and  recover,  if  possible,  certain  children,  who,  it  was  supposed,  were 
saved  from  the  massacre,  and  were  supposed  to  be  living  with  Mormons  and 
Indians.  Sixteen  of  the  surviving  children  were  collected  in  July,  1858,  and 
were  placed  in  a  respectable  family  in  Santa  Clara,  three  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  south  of  this  city,  and  were  provided  for  by  my  directions.  The  seven- 
teenth child  was  recovered  last  April.  None  of  the  children  were  claimed  by 
or  were  living  with  or  among  the  Indians.  They  were  taken  from  the  field  of 
slaughter  the  evening  of  the  day  their  friends  were  killed,  and  conveyed  in  a, 
wagon  to  Mr.  Hamblin's  house,  in  the  east  end  of  the  valley,  by  John  D.  Lee 
and  Daniel  Tulis,  and  perhaps  others.  The  following  day  the  children  were 
divided  out  and  placed  in  different  Mormon  families  in  Cedar  City,  Harmony, 
Santa  Clara,  <fec.,  from  whence  they  were  collected  in  pursuance  of  my  direc- 
tions. A  massacre  of  such  unparalleled  magnitude  on  American  soil  must^ 
sooner  or  later,  demand  thorough  investigation.  I  have  availed  myself  during 
the  last  twelve  months,  of  every  opportunity  to  obtain  reliable  information 
about  the  said  emigrant  company,  and  the  alleged  causes  of  and  circumstances 
which  led  to  their  treacherous  sacrifice. 

Mormons  have  been  accused  of  aiding  the  Indians  in  the  commission  of  this 


41 

crime.  I  commenced  my  inquiries  without  prejudice  or  selfish  motive,  and 
with  the  hope  that,  in  the  progress  of  my  inquiries,  facts  would  enable  me  to 
exculpate  all  white  men  from  any  participation  in  this  tragedy,  and  saddle  the 
guilt  exclusively  upon  the  Indians ;  but,  unfortunately,  every  step  in  my  in- 
quiries satisfied  me  that  the  Indians  acted  only  a  secondary  part.  Conflicting 
statements  were  made  to  me  of  the  behavior  of  this  emigrant  company  while 
travelling  through  the  Territory.  I  have  accordingly  deemed  it  a  matter  of 
material  importance  to  make  a  strict  inquiry  to  obtain  reliable  information  on 
this  subject;  not  that  bad  conduct  on  their  part  could  in  any  degree  palliate 
the  enormity  of  the  crime,  or  be  regarded  as  any  extenuation.  My  object  was 
common  justice  to  the  surviving  orphans.  The  result  of  my  inquiries  enables 
me  to  say  that  the  company  conducted  themselves  with  propriety.  They  were 
camped  several  days  at  Corn  creek,  Fillmore  valley,  adjacent  to  one  of  our 
Indian  farms. 

Persons  have  informed  me  that,  whilst  there  encamped,  they  poisoned  a  large 
spring  with  arsenic  and  the  meat  of  a  dead  ox  with  strichnine.  This  ox  died, 
unquestionably,  from  eating  a  poisonous  weed  which  grows  in  most  of  the 
valleys  here.  Persons  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Territory  told  me  last  spring, 
when  on  a  southern  trip,  that  from  fifteen  to  twenty  Pah-vant  Indians  (of  those 
on  Corn  Creek  farm)  died  from  drinking  the  water  of  the  poisoned  spring  and 
eating  of  the  poisoned  meat.  Other  equally  unreasonable  stories  were  told  me 
about  these  unfortunate  people. 

That  au  emigrant  company,  as  respectable  as  I  believe  this  was,  would  carry 
along  several  pounds  of  arsenic  and  strichnine,  apparently  for  no  other  pur- 
pose than  to  poison  cattle  and  Indians,  is  too  improbable  to  be  true.  I  cannot 
learn  that  the  Pah-vants  had  any  difficulty  with  these  people.  The  massacre 
took  place  only  about  one  hundred  miles  south  of  Corn  cre'ek,  and  yet  not  any 
of  those  Indians  were  present.  Bad  white  men  have  magnified  a  natural  cause 
to  aid  them  in  exciting  the  southern  Indians,  hoping  that,  by  so  doing,  they 
could  be  relied  upon  to  exterminate  the  said  company  and  escape  detection 
themselves.  Thus,  on  the  Monday  morning  subsequent  to  the  Friday,  4th  or 
6th  of  September,  the  day  they  camped  at  the  spring,  the  Indians  commenced 
firing  upon  them,  and  continued  daily  until  and  during  the  eighth  day  of  their 
encamping,  but  without  accomplishing  much.  Several  were  killed,  however, 
and  a  few  wounded.  When  the  company  first  apprehended  an  attack,  they 
formed  a  corral  with  their  wagons,  and  filled  up  with  earth  to  the  wagon  beds, 
which  made  a  protecting  fort.  White  men  were  present  and  directed  the  In- 
dians. John  D.  Lee,  of  Harmony,  told  nie,  in  his  own  house,  last  April,  in 
presence  of  two  persons,  that  he  was  present  three  successive  days  during  the 
fight,  and  was  present  during  the  fatal  day.  The  Indians  alone  made  their 

last  attack  on  the  8th  of  September. On  the  9th,  John  D.  Lee  and  others, 

whose  names  I  gave  in  my  letter  of  the  23d  ultimo,  displayed  a  white  flag,  and 
approached  the  corral  with  two  wagons,  and  bad  a  long  interview  with  the 
company,  and  proposed  a  compromise.  What  there  occurred  has  not  trans- 
pired. The  emigrant  company  gave  up  all  their  arms,  with  the  expectation 
that  their  lives  would  be  spared,  and  they  be  conducted  back  to  Panther  creek 
and  Cedar  city.  The  old  women,  children,  and  wounded  were  taken  in  the 
wagons,  and  the.  company  proceeded  towards  Panther  creek,  when,  suddenly, 
at  a  signal,  the  work  of  death  commenced,  about  one  and  a  half  mile  from  the 
spring,  at  a  place  where  there  was  about  an  acre  of  scrub-oak  brush.  Here 


42 

not  less,  I  think,  tliau  one  hundred  and  fifteen  men,  women,  and  children,  were 
slaughtered  by  white  men  and  Indians.  Three  men  got  out  of  the  valley,  two 
of  whom,were  soon  overtaken  and  killed ;  the  other  reached  Muddy  creek, 
over  fifty  miles  off,  and  was  overtaken  and  killed  by  several  Indians  and  one 
white  man. 

Thus  terminated  the  most  extensive  and  atrocious  massacre  recorded  in 
American  history.  "Wkoever  may  have  been  the  perpetrators  of  this  horrible 
deed,  no  doubt  exists  in  my  mind  that  they  were  influenced  chiefly  by  a  deter- 
mination to  acquire  wealth  by  robbery.  It  is  in  evidence,  from  respectable 
sources,  that  material  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  pecuniary  condition  of 
certain  individuals  suspected  of  complicity  in  this  affair.  It  is  to  be  regretted 
that  no  well-directed  effort  has  been  made  to  bring  the  guilty  to  trial  and  pun- 
ishment. I  furnished  to  the  proper  officials  the  names  of  some  of  the  persons 
twho,  I  had  reason  to  suppose,  were  instigators  and  participators  in  this  unpar- 
alleled massacre,  and  also  with  the  names  of  witnesses. 


AFFIDAVIT   OF   HENRY   HICGINS. 

Territory  of  Utah. 

Cedar  County  ss: 

Henry  Higgins  being  sworn  says,  that  he  lived  in  Cedar  city,  in  said  Terri- 
tory, about  the  month  of  September,  1857,  the  time  of  the  massacre  at  the 
Mountain  Meadows.  Some  days  before  the  massacre,  he  saw  the  train  going 
through  towards  the  city,  he  being  out  herding  at  the  time;  train  going  south 
a  few  days  after,  about  sundown  in  the  evening,  he  noticed  a  company  of  per- 
Bons  going  out  of  Cedar  city,  two  wagons  full,  and  others  on  horse-back,  about 
25  persons  in  all,  all  armed  with  guns.  Nothing  was  said  about  where  they 
were  going,  he  inquired,  but  was  unable  to  find  out.  In  the  Company  that  start- 
ed out  he  recollected  the  following  persons:  William  Bateman,  Egra  Curtis, 
Samuel  Pollock,  Alexander  Loveridge,  John  M.  Higbee,  and  William  Stewart. 

Affiant  further  says,  that  he  saw  the  same  persons  return  with  a  lot  of  wag- 
ons and  oxen,  which  were  loaded  with  plunder,  there  was  twelve  or  fourteen  of 
them,  four  to  five  yoke  of  oxen  in  each,  they  were  driven  to  Bishop  P.  K.  Smith's, 
there  unloaded.  Some  time  after  the  effects  were  sold  at  the  Tithing  office — 
and  further  saith  not. 

HENRY  HIGGINS. 

Sworn  to  and  signed  before  me,  this  20th  of  April,  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH, 

Judge  2d  District,  U.  8. 


EXTRACT    FROM   A   LETTER   OF   WM.  IL  ROGERS   TO   THE   VALLEY   TAN. 

"Leaving  the  commands  here  (Mountain  Meadows)  Judge  Cradlebaugh  and  I 
proceeded  forward  to  Cedar  city,  where  the  Judge  intended  to  remain  some 
time,  and  make  a  thorough  investigation  if  he  could,  and  the  persons  engaged 
in  it.  Owing  to  some  disadvantage  in  the  location  of  Cedar  city,  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  inhabitants  that  once  dwelt  there  had  moved  away,  and  there  was 
in  cousequence  a  good  many  vacant  houses  in  the  place.  Judge  Cradlebaugh 
obtained  the  use  of  one  of  these  to  stay  in,  and  for  the  purpose  of  a  court  room. 


43 

As  soon  as  it  became  known  that  Judge  Oadlebaugh  intended  holding  a 
court,  and  investigating  the  circumstances  of  the  massacre,  and  that  he  would 
have  troops  to  insure  protection,  and  enforce  his  writs  if  necessary;  several 
persons  visited  him  at  his  room  at  late  hours  of  the  night,  and  informed  him  o^ 
different  facts  connected  with  the  massacre.  All  those  that  called  thus,  stated 
that  it  would  be  at  the  risk  of  their  lives  if  it  became  known  that  they  com- 
municated anything  to  him,  and  they  requested  the  Judge  if  he  met  them  in 
daytime,  not  to  recognize  them  as  persons  that  he  had  seen  before. 

One  of  the  men  who  called  thus  on  Judge  Cradlebaugh,  confessed  that  h«  had 
been  engaged  in  the  massacre,  and  gave  the  following  account  of  it. 

*  *  .        *  *  *  % 

Such  was  the  substance,  if  not  the  exact  words  of  a  statement  made  by  a 
man  to  Judge  Cradlebaugh,  in  my  presence,  who  confessed  that  he  participa- 
ted in  the  horrible  events  that  he  related.  He  also  gave  Judge  Cradlebaugh 
the  names  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  men  living  in  the  region,  who  assisted  in 
the  massacre.  He  offered  to  make  the  same  statements  in  court,  if  protection 
was  guaranteed  to  him.  He  gave  as  a  reason  for  divulging  these  facts  that  they 
had  tormented  his  rnind  and  conscience  since  they  occurred. 

~We  had  been  in  Ceder  city  but  two  days  when  Capt.  Campbell  arrived  with 
his  command,  and  informed  the  Judge  that  he  had  received  an  express  from 
General  Johnson  to  bring  back  with  him  all  the  troops  in  his  command,  as  the 
Mormons  were  assembling  in  the  mountains  on  the  route.  Judge  Cradlebaugh 
was  left  without  protection  for  those  who  might  be  called  as  witnesses,  or  of 
arresting  any  persons  who  might  flee  or  resist  his  writs.  Without  assistance  of 
this  kind  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  hold  a  court,  and  we  accordingly  left  on 
the  next  day  with  Capt.  Campbell's  command  for  Camp  Floyd. 

*  *  *  #  #  * 

WM.  H.  ROGERS, 
Deputy  U.  8.  Marshall,  U.  T. 


THE   PARISH   MURDER. 

Testimony  of  Mrs.  Alvira  L.  Parish. 

Elvira  L.  Parish  being  duly  sworn,  says,  that  a  few  days  before  my  husband 
and  son  were  murdered,  Wilber  J.  Earl  and  Alx.  F.  McDonald  came  to  my 
house  "about  dusk  in  the  evening  and  took  my  husband  out.  My  son  followed, 
and  McDonald  drove  him  back.  Then  I  went  out  and  crossed  the  street  into 
my  nephew's  house,  and  stood  at  the  open  window,  the  house  being  an  unfin- 
ished one,  and  heard  McDonald  tell  my  husband  that  he  could  never  see  his 
grey  horses  any  more.  My  husband  replied  that  if  he  would  let  him  go  to 
Brigham  Young,  he  would  bring  papers  to  show  that  the  horses  belonged  to 
him  and  no  one  else.  McDonald  said  we  dont  care  for  Brigham  Young,  and  if 
you  start  to  see  him  you  will  never  live  to  get  there.  My  husband  then  opened 
his  bosom  and  told  them  if  they  wanted  to  kill  him  to  do  it  now.  McDonald 
said  we  dont  want  to  shed  blood  now. 

On  Sunday  following,  after  I  heard  this  conversation,  Mr.  Parish  started  with 
Abraham  Durfee  from  our  house  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  in  the 
evening  Mr.  Durfee  came  back,  and  took  my  two  sons  out;  soon  after  they  left 
the  house  I  heard  a  gun  fire.  This  was  a  little  after  dark,  and  shortly  after 
that  the.  police  came  and  searched  my  house  for  Orrin,  and  told  me  that  they 


44: 

wanted  his  body  dead  or  alive.  I  told  them  he  was  not  there,  but  Games,  the 
Captain  of  the  Police  told  them  to  search  the  house,  and  they  searched  it.  I 
remained  in  the  house  all  night,  much  alarmed  and  very  lonesome.  I  went  to 
the  door  occasionally  and  saw  some  men  fixing  a  wagon,  and  passing  frequently 
with  candles  in  their  hands  from  John  Daily's  house  to  the  wagon.  I  saw  the 
wagon  move  off  in  the  direction  that  my  sons  went.  It  proved  to  be  the  wagon 
that  brought  in  the  dead  bodies.  G.  McKenzie  told  me  that  he  was  ordered  by 
the  Bishop  to  drive  the  wagon  out,  but  did  not  know  at  the  time  what  he  was 
going  after,  that  when  they  arrived  at  the  place  they  threw  the  dead  bodies  of 
my  husband,  my  son  and  Mr.  Potter  into  the  wagon  like  dead  hogs,  and  said : 
"This  is  the  way  the  damned  apostates  go." 

The  next  morning  after  this,  my  brother-in-law,  Ezra  Parish,  came  to  my 
house  and  told  me  that  Orrin  was  at  his  house  guarded  by  four  policemen. 
He  told  me  to  come  over,  but  to  be  as  calm  as  possible.  I  went  over  and 
found  Orrin  there  in  bed  guarded  by  four  men.  I  knew  none  of  the  men  but 
William  Johnson.  I  stept  Coward  the  bed  to  ask  my  son  if  he  knew  where 
his  father  was,  but  Mr.  Johnson  jerked  me  away,  and  said  if  I  wanted  to  talk 
I  must  talk  loud.  I  then  asked  him  loud,  if  he  knew  where  his  father  was? 
He  said  he  had  not  seen  him.  Soon  after  that,  my  son  Albert  came  and  told 
me  that  his  father  and  his  brother,  and  Mr.  Potter,  were  all  dead  in  the 
school  house.  Soon  after  that  they  came  and  took  Orrin  over  to  the  school 
house.  I  followed,  but  was  so  prostrated  by  the  circumstances  that  I  was 
not  able  to  go  alone,  but  was  assisted  by  my  nephew  and  brother-in-law. 
When  I  got  to  the  school  house,  I  heard  them  ask  Orrin  if  he  had  been  acces- 
sory to  the  murder.  He  stated  on  oath  that  he  had  not,  and  that  he  did  not. 
know  who  did  it.  Orrin  was  at  this  time  very  much  embarrassed.  Pie  was 
discharged  after  they  found  that  he  knew  nothing. 

After  the  burial,  I  was  required  to  pay  $48  for  funeral  expenses  before  I 
could  get  back  my  husband's  watch  and  other  things  he  had  with  him.  On  a 
second  visit  to  the  school  house,  I  noticed  that  a  knife  had  been  drawn  through 
my  husband's  left  hand  ;  the  fore  finger  hung  by  the  skin  ;  his  hand  arid  left 
arm  were  all  cut  up  with  a  knife ;  a  large  gash  in  the  back  of  his  head.  One 
of  his  suspenders  was  cut  off;  the  knife  pierced  his  body,  then  another  wound 
lower  down  and  more  in  front.  There  was  forty-eight  holes  in  his  coat,  all 
caused  by  stabs ;  examined  and  counted  them  myself.  Mr.  Parri?h's  throat 
was  cut  from  ear  to  ear ;  his  watch  had  saved  him  one  stab,  there  was  the 
mark  of  a  knife  on  it.  There  was  four  bullet  holes  in  the  left  side  of  my 
son.  My  husband  had  a  Territorial  order  in  his  pocket  book  when  he  left 
home— called  for  $500 ;  I  never  got  it  back;  when  I  got  his  pocket-book  it 
had  a  few  jewels  in  it  belonging  to  my  sons,  a  medal,  a  half  dollar,  a  twenty- 
five  cent  piece,  the  paper  containing  the  conversation  my  husband  and  Earl 
and  McDonald  was  in  it,  but  it  was  not  returned. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

Mr.  Dibble,  who  was  on  the  coroner's  inquest  said,  that  where  he  examined 
the  pocket-book  on  the  inquest,  he  saw  no  papers  of  any  kind. 

I  went  to  Salt  Lake  City  in  July,  1857,  to  see  Brigham,  in  accordance  with  a 
promise  I  had  made  my  husband.  Brigham  told  me  he  knew  nothing  of  the 
affair.  Springville  was  fifteen  years  ahead  of  him.  He  would  have  stopped 
it  Ead  he  known  anything  about  it.  I  asked  him  about  the  horses.  He  said 
he  would  do  everything  he  could  do  to  have  the  horses  restored  to  me — he 


45 

would  write  to  me  after  seeing  Mr.  Bullock  and  others.  I  told  him  G^e  had 
possession  of  the  horses,  and  that  he  had  said,  nothing  but  an  order  from 
Brigham  could  get  them.  Brigham's  clerk  put  down  in  a  book  what  I  said. 
Brigham  never  wrote  tome.  I  went  to  see  him  this  winter— he  would'nt  see 
me.  It  was  between  Christmas  and  New  Years — could'nt  see  him.  I  went  to 
Brigham  Young's  office  about  8  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  eat  there  till  4 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  His  clerks  were  present.  At  4  o'clock  I  was  told 
that  I  could  not  see  Brigham  Young  that  day,  but  next  day  to  call  and  see  him 
between  8  and  11  o'clock  in  the  morning.  I  came  next  morning  and  waa  told 
I  could'nt  see  him,  that  he  saw  nobody.  Mr.  Sharp,  chief  the  police  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  when  I  was  going  out,  called  me  back,  and  asked  me  what  I  would 
do  about  it.  I  told  him  I  did'nt  know.  I  went  to  John  Young's,  from  there  to 
Mr.  Long's,  and  noticed  Mr.  Sharp  and  one  of  the  clerks  following  me ;  they 
called  after  me ;  they  said  I  should  wait  till  the  soldiers  left,  and  I  would  get 
back  my  horses  and  four  fould  with  them.  It  would  be  best  for  me  to  drop 
it.  They  told  me  to  go  to  Bishop  Hunter  and  try  to  settle  the  matter.  I 
would  not  go. 

The  first  day  I  was  at  Brigham's  office,  I  was  told  by  the  clerk,  Brigham 
Young- don't  want  to  see  you,  such  business  should  be  put  into  the  hands  of 
the  Bishops — to  see  Bishop  Hancock,  Bishop  Johnson,  and  Bishop  Roeberry, 
and  they  would  settle  it — That  Brigham  had  told  him  that  he  didn't  want  to 
see  me. 

There  had  been  public  pi'eaching  at  Springville,  to  the  effect  that  no  apos- 
tates would  be  allowed  to  leave,  if  they  did,  hog-holes  in  the  fences  would  be 
stopped  up  with  them.  I  heard  these  sermons.  Elder  Hyde  and  President 
Snow,  and  others,  preached  that  way.  My  husband  was  no  believer  in  the 
doctrine  of  killing  to  "save"  as  taught  by  the  teachers. 

(Signed)  ALVIRA  L.  PARISH. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me,  this  26th  day  of  March,  A.  D.  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH,  Judge,  dec. 


TESTIMONY    OF   ORRIN    K.    FARRISH. 

Orrin  E.  Parish,  being  sworn,  says :  He  was  twenty  years  old  last  July;  lived 
with  his  father's  family  in  Springville,  in  March,  1857.  Family  consisted  of 
father,  mother,  and  six  children  ;  eldest  brother,  William  Beason,  aged  twenty- 
two  ;  witness  next.  Lived  in  James  O'Bannion's  house — double  house  ;  we  lived 
in  one  end,  O'Bannion  in  the  other.  We  came  here  from  Council  Bluffs. 

Father,  brother,  and  Potter  were  murdered  on  the  evening  of  the  14th 
March,  1857.  About  a  week  before  the  murder,  Mr.  Johnson,  Mr.  Met- 
calf,  and  a  person  whose  name  witness  does  not  recollect,  came  to  father's 
as  teachers,  and  questioned  father  about  his  religion,  whether  he  prayed,  and 
what  he  intended  to  do ;  don't  recollect  all  that  was  said,  but  they  didn't  seem 
pleased  with  father's  answer. 

A  night  or  two  after,  our  four  horses  and  carriage  were  stolen  ;  they  were 
in  the  stable  on  the  lot  where  we  lived.  We  found  two  of  the  horses  before 
father's  death  in  Kim  Bullock's  stable  in  Provo ;  got  them  back  after  father's 
death  from  the  Bishop.  Bullock  said  they  were  brought  and  put  in  his  stable 


46 

at  night,  and  he  did  not  know  who  by.  Lysander  Gee,  of  Tooele  city,  has  the 
other  horses;  saw  him  driving  them  last  fall  in  Great  Salt  Lake  city,  and 
riding  one  of  them,  and  another  man  the  other,  in  Echo  Kanyon,  five  or  six 
days  after  father's  death. 

Two  or  three  days  before  the  murder,  Wilber  J.  Earl  and  Abram  F.  McDon- 
ald came  to  our  house,  called  father  out,  and  went  across  the  street  behind  an 
unfinished  house  belonging  to  cousin.  Witness  started  to  follow,  but  was  driven 
back  by  A.  F.  McDonald,  who  said  they  wanted  to  talk  privately  to  father. 
Mother  went  over  into  the  house,  and  returned  in  about  ten  minutes.  Father 
•oon  after  came  in.  Father  afterwards  wrote  on  a  piece  of  paper  what  was 
said  to  him.  "Witness  thinks  it  read  about  as  follows :  "Abram  F.  McDonald 
and  Wilber  J.  Earl  says  that  I  (William  R.  Parish)  will  never  see  my  grey 
horses  any  more,  and  if  I  start  to  the  city  to  see  Brigharn  Young,  I  will  never 
live  to  get  there."  Abraham  Durfee  was  at  our  house  frequently  after  the  1st 
of  March,  and  up  to  the  time  of  the  murder  he  lived  half  a  mile  from  our 
house.  Pretended  to  father  that  he  couldn't  stand  Mormonism  any  longer, 
and  that  he  wanted  to  get  out  of  the  country.  Durfee  and  Potter  were  there 
most  every  day.  The  arrangement  was  finally  made,  that  father,  brother, 
Durfee,  Potter  and  myself,  were  to  start  on  Sunday  night,  the  14th  of  March, 
1857.  They  talked'the  matter  over,  and  concluded  that  it  would  not  be  safe 
to  start  in  the  daytime ;  if  we  did  we  would  be  followed  and  killed  as  apos- 
tates. It  was  arranged  to  go  out  after  dark,  and  meet  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  south  of  the  city  wall,  at  a  corner  of  the  lane  fence. 

Durfee  and  Potter  were  at  our  house  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  Sunday  of  the 
murder.  Durfee  was  there  also  at  two  o'clock,  at  which  time  he  and  father 
left,  directing  us  boys  where  to  meet  after  dark.  Durfee  came  back  before 
dark,  again  after  dark;  last  time  said  father  sent  word  to  mother  to  send  us 
out,  whether  ready  or  not.  Durfee  and  brother  started ;  I  remained  at  the 
door  talking  to  mother  a  minute  or  two,  then  overtook  them;-  we  went  out 
through  the  south  gate  of  the  city  wall.  Two  persons  followed  us  on  the 
street;  did  not  talk  much.  Brother  and  I  carried  bundles  of  provision  and 
ammunition. 

Durfee  left  us  at  the  gate ;  said  he  was  going  home  to  get  his  gun ;  directed 
us  to  go  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  city  wall ;  went  as  directed.  Saw  no 
person;  heard  them  inside  the  wall.  Durfee  came  to  us;  had  his  gun;  asked 
brother  to  go  with  him  to  get  some  things  that  he  said  he  had  hid  out  during 
the  day ;  returned  to  me  in  ten  minutes.  Durfee  said  he  could  not  find  the 
things.  While  they  were  absent  a  gun  was  fired,  apparently  about  the  corner 
of  the  lane  fence,  where  we  were  to  meet.  When  they  got  back  I  asked  what 
it  meant.  Durfee  said  some  Indians  might  "be  camped  down  there ;  then  he 
said  it  might  be  a  signal  from  father  or  Potter.  We  then  started  a  southeast 
course,  towards  the  corner  where  we  were  to  meet.  Crossed  the  fence  one  or 
two  hundred  yards  north  into  the  road.  After  we  got  into  the  road,  Durfe« 
called  out,  "  Duff,  Duff,  Duff,"  three  times.  Potter's  name  was  Duff. 

We  then  stopped  and  looked  to  the  fence  on  the  east  side  of  the  road.  No 
one  answered.  We  went  on  towards  the  corner ;  when  within  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet  of  the  corner  a  person  at  the  corner  called  out  "  Durfee  "  three  times. 
Durfee  answered.  Immediately  a  gun  or  pistol  was  fired  ;  brother  Beason  fell, 
(Beason  is  brother  William's  middle  name.)  I  was  nearest  Durfee;  brother 
farthest  away,  and  ahead  of  us.  Durfee  had  a  blanket  and  black  hat  on ;  had 


47 

a  gun  and  revolver.  Brother  had  a  black  hat  on.  Durfee  knew  we  had  no 
arms.  Durfee  said,  "  My  God !  what  does  this  mean  ?"  Witness  was  close  to 
him,  but  stepped  away.  Durfee  drew  up  his  gun  and  pointed  it  at  witness, 
and  bursted  a  cap,  the*  gun  failing  to  go  off.  "Witness  went  further  off  from 
Durfee.  Another  gun  was  then  fired  at  corner  of  fence ;  then  two  or  three 
other  shots  were  fired ;  one  ball  passed  through  a  cartridge  box  witness  had 
on,  (cartridge  box  shown  with  a  hole  in  it.) 

Witness  jumped  fence  and  ran  for  the  city;  climbed  the  wall  at  a  place 
where  it  was  low,  about  seven  feet  high,  and  was  severely  injured  in  getting 
off  it ;  when  he  crossed  Hobble  Creek,  heard  person  behind  ask  which  way  he 
went.  Witness  ran  to  his  uncle's  house ;  some  ten  or  twelve  men  were  standing 
in  the  street  to  the  left.  Witness  got  in  so  quick  they  could  not  catch  him. 
Uncle,  aunt,  and  cousins,  at  home.  Told  them  that  Beason  had  been  shot. 
Asked  uncle  to  go  and  see  if  he  was  alive.  Uncle  was  afraid  to  go.  Got 
Robert  Brooks  to  go.  Brooks  went,  returned  in  a  short  time — twenty  minutes, 
and  said  he  went  to  the  South  city  gate,  was  there  met  by  a  lot  of  men  who 
told  him  to  go  back  if  he  wanted  to  live. 

Half  an  hour  after  Brooks  returned,  Wilber  J.  Earl,  H.  H.  Games,  Daniel 
Stanton,  Sanford  Fuller,  Andrew  Wiles,  and  a  man  by  the  name  of  Curtis, 
came  to  uncle's;  Carnes  asked  for  me,  said  he  wanted  me,  dead  or  alive.  Wit- 
ness was  sick  from  hurt  in  jumping  the  wall,  and  had  laid  down  in  bed;  made 
me  get  up  to  see  if  I  was  shot.  Told  him  I  was  sick;  got  up,  sat  in  chair; 
felt  my  shoulders  and  arms,  and  examined  me  to  see  if  I  was  shot.  Said  he 
had  a  writ  for  me,  and  I  must  go  with  him.  Aunt  said  I  was  sick  and  not  able 
to  go.  That  no  matter ;  when  they  took  me,  ene  would  follow  them  ;  and 
that  they  could  guard  me:  then  a  guard  was  left  over  me.  In  the  morning, 
John  Daily,  William  Johnson,  and  a  man  I  don't  recollect,  were  there  as  a 
guard.  Ten  or  eleven  o'clock,  was  taken  by  John  Daily  and  others  to  the 
meeting  house.  John  M.,  Stuart  acted  as  Justice  of  the  Peace;  twenty  or 
thirty  men  there.  Durfee  and  I  were  sworn.  Durfee  was  examined  first; 
don't  recollect  all  he  said  ;  he  had  snapped  a  cap  at  the  enemy.  I  told  them  I 
knew  nothing  about  it  more  than  Durfee  had  stated  ;  that  I  saw  nobody,  but 
saw  something  dark  toward  the  corner  of  the  fence.  My  uncle  got  a  chance  to 
speak  to  me  in  the  morning,  and  he  told  me  to  say  that 'I  knew  nothing;  said 
that  if  they  found  out  that  I  knew  anything,  they  would  kill  me.  That  was 
the  reason  I  testified  that  way.  They  discharged  me.  The  voice  I  heard  at 
the  corner  of  the  fence  calling  Durfee,  was  Carrie's  voice ;  he  has  a  peculiar 
voice ;  I  knew  it  well,  and  cannot  be  mistaken.  The  dead  bodies  were  at  the 
meeting  or  school  when  we  were  sworn.  Father  laid  in  the  middle — his  throat 
was  cut;  body  was  covered  up.  Brother  fell  forward,  when  shot,  on  his 
hands ;  five  or  six  shots  fired ;  four  ball  holes  in  brother's  coat,  entering  on 
one  side  of  the  breast  and  coming  out  on  the  back.  (Coat  produced  and  iden- 
tified.) Never  suspected  Durfee's  treachery  until  he  pointed  the  gun  at  me. 
Heard  father  say  that  Durfee's  life  had  been  threatened.  Eight  o'clock  in  the 
evening  when  they  were  murdered. 

(Signed)  ORRIN  E.  PARRISH. 

Swofn  to  and  signed  before  me  this  26th  day  of  March,  A.  D.  1859. 

'  JOHN  CRADDLEBAUGH, 

Judge,  &c. 


48 

AFFIDAVIT  OP  JOSEPH  BARTHOLOMEW. 

TERRITORY  OF  UTAH,  ) 
Utah  County.  J 

Joseph  Bartholomew  of  Springville,  in  the  county  of  Utah  aforesaid,  being 
duly  sworn,  deposes  and  says: 

Duff  Potter  came  to  me  and  notified  me  to  attend  a  meeting  at  Bishop  John- 
son's about  the  1st  of  March,  1857. 

In  pursuance  of  that  notice  we  met  at  Bishop  Johnson's  in  a  private  council 
meeting.  I  do  not  recollect  what  was  done  at  this  first  meeting ;  there  was 
merely  some  talk  about  persons  leaving  and  matters  and  things  connected 
therewith,  of  which  I  do  not  remember  the  particulars.  In  about  a  week  after 
that  they  met  again,  and  at  that  meeting  Potter  and  Durfee  were  "dropped  off" 
and  selected  for  the  purpose  of  finding  out  what  was  going  on. 

At  the  meeting  the  conversation  was  about  the  Parrishes,  and  about  persons 
at  the  Indian  farm.  The  meeting  was  called  to  enter  into  arrangements  to  find 
out  what  these  persons  expected  to  do.  This  is  what  I  understood  was  the 
purpose  pf  these  two  meetings.  I  did  not  attend  any  meetings  after  this.  At 
this  meeting  it  was  not  known  what  the  Parrishes  intended  to  do,  and  nothing 
was  decided  as  in  regard  to  them. 

Bishop  Johnson  made  a  remark,  however,  that  some  of  us  would  yet  "see 
the  red  stuff  run."  He  said  he  had  a  letter,  and  the  remark  was  made  by 
some  one  that  "  dead  men  tell  no  tales."  I  do  not  know  whether  any  other 
meetings  were  held  or  not. 

The  same  night  that  the  Parrishes  were  killed,  at  about  nine  o'clock,  I  was 
notified  by  Carnes  to  go  home  and  get  my  gun.  I  asked  him  what  was  up. 
He  said  there  was  enough  up.  I  was  just  returning  from  a  public  meeting 
which  had  been  held  that  night ;  they  did  not  tell  me  what  they  wanted  with 
me.  Bishop  Johnson,  Lorenzo  Johnson,  A.  F.  McDonald,  Mayor;  John  M- 
Stewart,  Justice  of  the  Peace;  Wilber  J.  Earl,  Alderman,  now  captain  of  po- 
lice ;  Andrew  Wiles,  William  Bird,  Lorin  Roundy,  Simmons  Curtis,  Abraham 
Durfee,  Duff  Potter  and  myself,  were  at  the  council  meetings,  and  other  persons 
I  do  not  remember  the  name  of.  There  were  at  least  fifteen  present. 

I  went  and  got  my  gun  and  came  back,  and  was  told  to  take  my  post  and 
watch  west  of  Parrish's  house,  three  rods ;  I  was  told  to  stay  there  and  watch 
if  Orrin  Parrish  came  back.  I  stayed  there  some  10  or  15  minutes,  when  I 
was  notified  to  repair  to  the  school  house ;  I  don't  remember  who  notified  me. 

When  I  got  there,  there  was  a  company  formed  there  with  a  wagon  and 
team.  We  were  ordered  to  inarch  south,  down  the  lane,  formed  as  a  guard  in 
front  of  the  team  ;  I  did  not  know  at  that  time  for  what  purpose.  When  we 
got  out  at  the  south  gate  I  learned  then  what  was  up.  When  we  reached  the 
bodies  we  were  formed  into  two  companies,  one  to  go  to  the  south-east  and 
one  to  the  west ;  I  went  to  the  west  side  of  the  street  from  where  the  bodies 
lay.  They  were  on  the  east  side  and  we  were  on  the  west  side.  The  street  is 
eight  rods  wide.  The  companies  were  divided  before  we  came  to  the  bodies. 
There  were  two  persons  beside  myself  in  the  company  I  was  with,  and  about 
three  in  the  other.  There  were  some  ten  or  fifteen  altogether  that  went  out. 
Of  these  I  remember  the  following:  A.  F.  McDonald,  John  M.  Stewart,  Philio 
Dibbee,  George  McKenzie  went  as  teamster;  Davis  Clark,  Simmons  Curtis,  John 
Daley,  Moses  Daley,  jr.,  and  John  Curtis.  Carnes,  the  Captain  of  police,  called 
us  together,  and  told  us  to  start  out. 


49 

While  I  and  the  two  with  me  were  standing  as  guard,  the  others  went  and 
found  the  bodies.  When  the  bodies  were  found  we  were  called  together,  and 
I  saw  the  bodies  of  Potter  and  Wm.  Parrish  lying  side  by  side. 

The  body  of  Season  Parrish  was  lying  about  fifty  yards  to  the  south  east  of 
the  other  bodies,  from  the  corner  of  the  fence. 

The  bodies  were  put  into  the  wagon  and  taken  to  the  school  house.  The 
bodies  were  searched  and  a  note  taken  of  the  effects  found  on  the  bodies,  the 
pocket-books,  knives,  <fcc. 

A  guard  was  put  around  the  school  house  that  night.  I  was  called  to  take 
charge  of  the  house,  and  to  wash  the  bodies  and  lay  them  out.  Edward  Hall 
and  Thomas  Cordingly  (since  dead)  assisted  me. 

Old  man  Parrish  was  cut  all  over  with  knife  wounds.  His  throat  was  cut  in 
the  left  side.  He  was  cut  at  least  fifteen  times  in  the  back,  in  front,  on  the 
arms,  the  hands,  in  fact  all  over. 

Potter  was  shot  with  three  balls  in  his  right  breast  below  the  nipple,  proba- 
bly with  a  shot  gun;  there  were  no  knife  marks  about  Potter. 

Beason  Parrish  was  shot  through  the  left  arm  with  four  balls,  passing  through 
the  arm  and  coming  out  near  the  middle  of  his  back.  They  may  have  entered 
at  his  back  and  come  out  through  the  arm ;  they  were  nearer  together  in  his 
back  than  in  front. 

I  was  invited  by  Sanford  Fuller  to  go  and  participate  in  the  killing  of  Henry 
Forbes.  He  told  me  there  was  such  a  thing  in  contemplation,  and  wanted  me 
to  go  with  him  which  I  declined  doing. 

About  two  days  after  that  Wilber  J.  Earl  spoke  to  me,  and  told  me  that  the 
job  which  they  contemplated  was  done,  and  if  I  had  a  went  he  would  not  have 
had  it  to  do.  He  charged  me  not  to  tell  it,  and  I  am  now  under  the  threats  of 
death  for  doing  so.  I  never  saw  the  body.  Some  four  or  five  days  after,  Coles 
told  me  that  the  Indians  had  found  the  body  some  where  between  there  and 
Provo. 

There  has  been  several  attempts  to  put  me  out  of  the  way.  Last  fall  was  a 
year  ago,  I  was  called  upon  to  go  with  four  men  up  the  Kanyon  to  look  for 
some  valley.  When  we  got  to  camp  one  of  the  men  asked  me  to  go  with  him 
to  hunt  bears.  Their  plan  was  for  him  to  lead  me  round  to  a  place  where  the 
others  would  kill  me  and  say  it  was  the  Indians. 

As  I  went  out,  however,  I  could  see  their  manouverings,  and  I  suspected 
something ;  so  when  we  got  on  a  piece  I  left  him,  and  going  another  course  re- 
turned to  camp.  When  I  got  there  I  found  the  man  with  whom  I  had  started, 
and  the  others  were  all  gone.  When  the  other  men  came  back  they  saddled 
up  their  horses,  and  went  to  a  more  convenient  camp.  Abraham  Durfee,  Wil- 
ber J.  Earl,  Nelson  Spafferd  and  Selin  Curtis  were  with  me. 

In  the  night,  after  dark,  they  tied  my  horse  in  an  opening,  where  the  light 
of  the  fire  would  shine  on  him.  When  we  went  to  get  our  horses,  they  said 
they  would  take  their  guns.  I  said  I  would  take  my  gun  too,  and  went  out, 
but  took  care  to  keep  out  of  the  light  of  the  fire.  I  found  my  horse  tied, 
but  got  him  loose  without  getting  into  the  fire-light.  They  then  wanted  me 
to  come  where  they  were,  and  that  would  have  brought  me  into  the  light,  but 
I  refused,  and  tied  him  elsewhere.  The  guards  were  arranged  so  that  Spafford 
and  I  were  on  the  first  guard.  I  watched  them  all  very  narrowly,  and  satis- 
fied myself  from  their  movements  that  they  had  determined  to  kill  me ;  so, 
making  some  excuse,  I  went  out  with  my  gun  and  ran  off.  After  traveling 


50 

some  time  I  laid  down  and  slept;  the  next  day  I  traveled  through  the  brush 
as  much  as  possible.  Towards  evening,  however,  I  was  headed  by  four  men 
on  foot,  and  chased  by  them  until  dark.  The  next  morning  I  found  some  men 
getting  wood,  and  came  home  with  them.  "When  I  got  back  I  met  Earl  and 
the  Bishop,  and  they  told  me  I  was  crazy — that  nothing  of  the  sort  was 
thought  of. 

It  all  passed  off  well  enough  until  two  weeks  ago ;  the  second  time  that 
Marshal  Dotson  came  tp  my  house;  then  Andrew  "Wiles  and  Sanford  Fuller 
came  to  me  and  told  me  I  must  go  into  the  mountains.  I  started  from  Oliver 
McBride's.  The  two  McBride  boys,  (Oliver  and  Harlin,)  the  two  Curtis'  (Uriah 
and  Selie,)  William  McBride  and  "William  Johnson,  were  at  the  house.  Two 
of  them  followed  me  until  I  w^nt  up  the  mountain  about  eighty  rods;  I  then 
stepped  to  one  side  into  a  little  kind  of  a  kanyon,  and  then  got  away  up 
among  the  rocks  till  they  passed  by  and  lost  me;  I  then  came  down  the  moun- 
tain again,  and  went  about  half  a  mile  north  and  went  up  Rock  kanyon. 

This  was  on  Friday  night ;  on  Sunday  night  I  came  into  town  and  went  to 
Uriah  Curtis';  there  they  notified  me  again  that  I  must  go  to  Wilber  J.  Earl 
and  Abraham  Durfee.  I  was  notified  by  "William  Johnson,  the  Marshal  by 
Uriah  Curtis,  Harlin  McBride  and  "William  Bird.  "We  then  proceeded — Oliver 
and  Harlin  McBride  and  myself — out  to  where  Earl  and  Durfee  were,  up  Hob- 
ble Creek  a  piece.  As  soon  as  we  got  there  William  Bird  and  U.  Curtis 
came  to  us  with  an  express  that  we  must  go  to  the  city.  They  would  tell 
who  the  counsel  was  from,  but  said  it  was  'counsel;  and  we  were  not  to  be 
seen  by  any  living  being,  but  were  to  travel  at  night  and  lay  by  in  the  day  time 
and  keep  to  the  mountains. 

We  started  and  traveled  along  the  mountain,  and  camped  the  first  morning 
between  Brattle  creek  and  the  mouth  of  Provo  kanyon,  up  in  a  little  kanyon. 
The  next  night  we  crossed  over  the  mountain,  near  Mountain  ville,  and  camped 
the  next  day  at  Dry  creek,  in  Salt  Lake  valley.  There  Wilber  J.  Earl  began 
to  get  uii.-  -5}  about  noon,  and  wished  to  go  on.  Duvf-  ind  I  opposed  it,  but 
Earl  would  go  on,  and  we  finally  consented;  f  r  obeying  what 

Durfee  and  I  had  understood  as  counsel,  to  keep  •-.:.  ;  i  gl  i.  nf  men,  he  took 
a  etraight  course  for  Cottonwood  Fort.  When  %  e  got  within  about  half  a 
mile  of  the  fort,  Earl  took  off.  his  pistol  belt  and  buckled  it  on  again  so  that 
his  pistol  would  be  right  in  front,  and  then  wanted  us  to  go  up  in  the  willows 
above  the  fort  ard  wait  there  till  night.  It  had  been  snowing  all  the  time 
since  we  started,  and  was  still  snowing. 

Durfee  and  I  believed  that  there  was  a  plan  laid  to  kill  us  right  there,  and 
we  would  not  go,  but  determined  to  go  past  the  fort.  When  I  got  opposite 
the  fort  I  stopped  and  asked  them  whether  they  intended  to  kill  and  butcher 
me,  and  told  them  that  I  believed  that  was  their  intention.-  They  both  denied 
it  positive!}',  and  Earl  said  that  I  must  be  crazy  again.  About  a  mile  past 
Cottonwood  Fort  a  man  pa?s<:>d  us  riding  at  full  speed  on  horseback  ;  he  rode 
at  full  speed  until  he  got  out  of  sight.  When  he  passed  UP  lie  did  not  look  at 
us  or  notice  us  at  all. 

At  Big  Cottonwood  we  were  tired  of  carrying  our  blankets,  which  were 
wet  and  heavy,  and  left  them  at  a  blacksmith's  shop.  We  .went  on  to  Gard- 
ner's mill,  and  from  there  we  turned  right  west  through  the  willow  patcfles. 
Earl  wanted  to  go  that  way,  and  would  go  no  other.  We  went  across  until 
we  came  to  a  clam  to  turn  water  into^  a  mill  race,  and  here  saw  a  man  sitting 


51 

down  ;  and  when  lie  saw  us  coming  he  raised  up,  and  then  slipped  down  again 
behind  the  dam  out  of  sight ;  as  he  raised  up  we  saw  the  breech  of  a  gun. 
Abraham  Durfee  then  stopped  and  said  to  Earl,  "  Wilber  Earl,  have  you  any- 
thing against  me?"  Wilber  said  he  had  not,  and  raised  his  hand  and  said  he 
had  nothing  against  either  of  us,  and  that  there  was  nothing  against  either  of 
us.  He  seemed  to  become  very  much  excited.  We  turned  and  went  back  a 
piece  and  crossed  the  race,  and  went  on  and  struck  into  the  first  street  east  of 
the  state  road.  We  then  went  up  that  street  into  town. 

At  the  corners  of  the  first  cross  street  there  were  men  posted  at  each  corner. 
There  Wilber  J.  Earl  made  a  sign  with  his  hand  for  them  to  go  round  us.  They 
then  started  one  way  and  we  went  another  around  the  corner.  We  would  not 
go  the  way  Earl  wanted  us  to  go,  but  kept  him  with  us.  At  the  next  corner 
we  turned  north,  and  then  at  the  next  corner  two  men  were  stationed  in  the 
same  manner  as  at  the  first  corner,  which  we  supposed  were  the  same  two  we 
had  met  before.  Here  Earl  put  his  hand  to  his  pistol,  and  then  made  a  motion 
by  putting  his  hand  to  his  forehead.  One  of  the  men  whistled.  We  went  up 
this  street  until  we  got  to  Brigham's  house,  and  then  turned  west  to  the  coun- 
cil house  corner.  Here  we  stopped  right  in  the  street,  Durfee  saying  that  he 
wanted  to  go  to  Stringham's.  We  talked  about  it,  and  Earl  seemed  willing  to 
have  us  go.  He  said  he  did  not  want  me  to  go  with  him  with  the  feeling  which 
I  had  towards  him.  Durfee  and  me  then  started  towards  Kinkead's.  Wilber 
J.  Earl  started  on  west  down  the  street.  A  man  followed  after  him,  and  when 
we  saw  him  last  there  were  three  men  talking  with  him.  We  went  to  Kin  - 
kead's  store,  and  told  Mr.  Kinkead  about  our  case,  and  told  him  we  wanted 
protection  until  morning.  He  took  us  over  to  the  Secretary's.  Mr.  Kiukead 
and  his  clerk  went  there  with  us.  We  claimed  the  Secretary's  protection. 

There  was  a  gun  fired  close  to  us  when  we  entered  the  city. 

I  have  heard  it  said  that  apostates  running  off  would  never  get  farther  than 
Muddy  creek. 

I  do  not  think  that  the  killing  of  Potter  was  intentional,  but  that  he  was 
killed  through  mistake.  He  was  the  one  who  notified  me,  and  was  a  leading 
man. 

JOSEPH  BARTHOLOMEW. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me,  on  the  29th  day  of  March,  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH, 
Judge  2d  Judicial  District. 

Bartholomew  was  afterwards  examined  as  a  witness,  and  made  the  same 
statements,  and  in  addition  said: 

"Durfee  and  Potter  were  set  off  by  council  meeting  to  watch  Parrish's.  Saw 
John  Daley  about  the  public  meeting  on  the  Sunday  night  of  the  murder ;  he 
did  not  go  into  the  house.  Council  meetings  were  held  in  the  upper  room  of 
Bishop  Johnson's  house  ;  confident  he  saw  McDonald  there.  Brother  Games 
sailed  on  witness,  and  ordered  him  to  get  his  gun  on  the  night  of  the  murder. 
Carnes  called  out  the  company;  does  not  know  that  any  person  was  sworn 
when  we  took  up  the  bodies." 


THE  FARCB  OF  A  COURT  OF  INQUIRY. 

The  following  is  the  examination  referred  to  by  Orrin  E.  Parrish  in 
his  testimony ;  it  is  copied  from  a  loose  sheet  of  paper  in  the  docket 
of  John  M.  Stuart,  and  must  satisfy  any  reasonable  person  that  the 
anxiety  manifested  by  the  diligent  police  in  searching  for  Orrin — 
placing  a  guard  over  him  when  injured  and  scarcely  able  to  get  out 
of  bed ;  treating  him  as  a  criminal  in  custody ;  not  allowing  even  his 
mother  to  speak  to  him  unless  she  spoke  loud ;  taking  him  to  the 
school  house  as  a  prisoner  then  swearing  him  and  Durfee ; — was  for 
no  other  purpose  than  to  find  out  if  he  could  identify  any  of  the 
murderers.  If  he  had  said  he  knew  any  of  them,  no  doubt  he  would 
soon  after  have  been  killed  by  assassins  to  the  jurors  unknown. 

REPORT  OF  THE  COURT  OF  INQUIRY  HELD  IN   THE  SCHOOL  HOUSE,  8PRINGVILL», 
MARCH  16th,    1857. 

Said  court  was  held  to  inquire  into  the  reasons  Abram  Durfee  and  Orrin 
Parrish  should  be  held  in  custody  of  the  police. 

H.  H.  Games  Captain  of  the  police  was  called,  and  stated  that  Cyrus  Sand- 
ford,  city  Marshal,  delivered  into  his  custody  Abram  Durfee,  who  stated  u  that 
he  had  reason  to  suppose  that  certain  men  had  been  murdered  south  of  the 
city,  and  as  he  also  said  that  the  young  man  Parrish  was  in  company  with 
him  and  believed  he  had  also  come  into  the  city."  I  directed  his  arrest,  that 
he  also  might  be  in  safe  keeping  until  proper  investigation  could  be  made. 

Abram  Durfee  being  sworn  stated,  that  it  had  been  arranged  between  my- 
self and  G.  Potter  and  the  Parrishes,  that  they  would  leave  the  country — that 
he  in  company  with  the  two  sons  of  Win.  Parrish  left  the  city  by  the  west 
gate  and  proceeded  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  fort  wall ;  he  had  arranged 
to  meet  with  Potter  and  Parrish  at  the  corner  of  Chields  field,  they  were  to 
go  on  before.  When  we  reached  the  corner  of  the  wall  we  heard  a  gun  fired. 
I  thought  it  might  be  Potter  and  Parrish  firing  a  gun  off  to  let  us  know  their 
whereabouts.  We  went  on,  and  when  we  got  pretty  near  the  corner  of  the 
field,  I  spoke  and  called  Potter,  but  no  one  answered.  I  spoke  again  and  some 
one  spoke ;  I  dont  know  whether  it  was  Potter  or  not.  Just  then  a  gun  fired, 
and  the  boy  Parish  fell  on  my  right.  I  run ;  then  another  gun  fired.  I  then 
heard  a  gun  fire  the  third  time.  There  must  have  been  more  than  one  gun 
fired  from  the  reports.  I  did  not  see  Parrish  or  Potter ;  I  dont  know  whether 
they  were  there  or  not  I  did  not  see  anybody,  only  the  two  boys,  this  one 
that  is  here  and  the  one  that  fell ;  I  could  not  have  seen  anybody  ten  feet  off, 
it  was  so  dark.  A  ball  passed  just  in  front  of  me,  at  the  first  time  I  saw  the 
boy  fall.  I  ran  from  the  spot  when  I  heard  the  fire  and  saw  the  boy  fall ;  this 
was  about  7  o'clock  in  th«  evening. 

Orrin  Parrish,  sworn,  says  he  went  out  with  his  brother,  as  Durfee  had  sta- 
ted. On  the  first  gun  my  brother  fell ;  there  were  four  or  five  guns  fired  after. 
I  dont  know  whether  I  saw  any  person.  I  saw  something  black ;  I  ran  off 
after  the  first  fire  I  saw  my  brother  fall 

The  court  decided  that  there  was  no  just  cause  to  hold  the  men  in  custody 
any  longer  and  that  they  be  released. 

Prisoners  discharged. 


53 

P.  S.  Durfee  also  said  that  he  had  no  idea  of  any  one  being  aware  of  their 
intention  to  leave  the  place. 

(Signed)  P.  W.  WESTWOOD,  Clerk. 

The  decision  or  verdict  of  the  jury  was  as  follows:  "The  jurors  called  to 
examine  the  bodies  of  Win.  B.  Parrish,  Beason  Parrish,  and  Gardner  G.  Potter, 
find  that  the  above  named  bodies  all  came  to  their  death  by  the  hands  of  as- 
sassins to  the  jurors  unknown. 

J.  M.  STEWART, 

A.  F.  McDONALD,  foreman. 

M.  N.  CRANDALL, 

N.  J.  GUYMAN, 

URIAH  CURTIS, 

S.  P.  CURTIS, 

JOHN  DAYLEY, 

WM.  SMITH, 

G.  McKENZIE, 

PHILO  DIBBLE, 

WILBER  J.  EARL, 

JOSEPH  BARTHOLOMEW, 

THOMAS  G.  SPRAGUE, 

The  reader  should  observe  carefully  the  foregoing  documents  and 
consider  the  same  in  connexion  with  the  testimony  of  Bartholomew 
and  Durfee.  Several  of  these  persons  were  on  the  Grand  Jury  at 
Provo.  The  Mormon  county  court  in  Utah  having  the  selecting  of  the 
Grand  and  trial  jurors  for  the  Federal  courts.  It  will  also  be  ob- 
served, that  many  of  them  take  conspicuous  parts  in  the  Bishop 
council  meetings,  at  Bishop  Johnson's,  which  determined  on  killing 
the  Parishes,  for  which,  also  see  the  affidavits  of  Durfee  and  Bar- 
tholomew. 


AFFIDAVIT  OF  ZEPHANIAH  J.  WARREN. 

TERRITORY  OF  UTAH,  } 
Provo  City,  Utah  County,  j-ss: 
Second  Judicial  District.  ) 

Zephaniah  J.  Warren  being  duly  sworn,  says  as  follows :  I  am  fifty-seven 
years  old,  I  came  to  Utah  in  the  year  A.  D.  1862.  I  came  from  Iowa  to  this 
Territory ;  I  settled  in  the  town  of  Springville,  Utah  county,  when  I  came  into 
this  valley,  and  have  resided  there  ever  since,  with  the  exception  of  about  sev- 
en months  absence  in  California,  in  the  years  1856  and  1857.  I  reside  in  Spring- 
ville now.  On  my  return  home  from  California  in  the  Spring  of  1857,  I  heard 
of  the  murder  of  the  two  Parrishes  and  Potter;  the  day  I  came  to  Springville 
I  saw  the  place  where  they  were  murdered.  Seeing  the  place  and  the  appear- 
ance of  blood,  I  became  somewhat  excited  and  spoke  very  reproachfully  of  the 
leading  men  of  Springville ;  however,  I  tried  to  reconcile  my  mind  enough  to 
stay  until  I  could  dispose  of  my  property,  and  get  away  with  my  family. 

I  did  not  say  much  to  anybody,  unless  I  was  interrogated,  during  the  whole 
season.  I  heard  of  many  threats  being  thrown  out  against  me  in  the  meeting- 
house by  the  overseers,  but  I  did  not  use  much  caution.  I  was  thrown  off  my 


54 

guard  by  supposing  that  they  dare  not  touch  me.  In  the  latter  part  of  August, 
I  was  very  feeble  from  a  severe  cold,  so  that  I  was  confined  to  nay  house,  and 
in  bed  much  of  the  time. 

On  the  night  of  the  31st  August,  1857,  I  arose  from  my  bed  and  applied 
some  medicine  to  my  eyes  which  occasioned  great  pain.  During  the  time  a 
person  knocked  at  my  door ;  I  bade  him  come  in.  Two  men  came  in — "William 
Johnson  and  Oliver  McBride.  They  asked  me  if  Mr.  "Warren  was  at  home,  I 
told  them  I  was  the  man,  but  was  very  feeble.  They  told  me  brother  Earl 
wished  to  see  me  a  few  minutes  just  here.  I  said  I  would  not  go,  but  would 
try  to  see  him  in  the  morning,  if  I  was  able.  They  said  they  were  policemen, 
and  brother  Earl  told  them,  if  I  did  not  come  willingly,  they  must  bring  me 
by  force.  I  insisted  they  should  wait  until  my  son  came  home,  as  I  did  not 
want  to  go  alone.  They  said  they  would  not  wait  and  that  I  must  and  should 
go  immediately.  I  told  them  I  would  go — that  I  was  not  concious  of  any  crime, 
and  was  not  afraid  to  go  ;  and  if  it  was  not  far  I  would  do  my  best.  I  went  out 
into  the  street  in  company  with  these  two  men.  I  found  six  others  standing  in 
the  street.  Their  names  were  "Wilber  J.  Earl,  Sanford  Fuller,  Abraham  Durfee, 
John  Curtis,  Lehi  Curtis,  and  Simmons  P.  Curtis.  They  were  all  armed  with 
pistols,  knives,  and  guns.  Earl  told  me  to  be  still  and  go  with  them  out  of  the 
city  gate.  I  told  them  I  would  not  go  one  step  without  the  knowledge  of  the 
public.  Earl  seized  me  by  the  throat,  saying  "  Damn  your  old  heart,  if  you 
speak  another  loud  word  (applying  his  knife  to  my  throat)  I  will  cut  your 
throat  on  the  spot."  They  then,  Johnson  and  Earl  took  me  by  force  and  drag- 
ged me  on  the  ground  most  of  the  time,  for  about  sixty  rods,  through  the  gate ; 
they  then  suddenly  stopped,  and  some  one  said  "there  is  some  one  coining; 
damn  him!  stop  him,  stop  him!  "  Two  ran  back,  and  the  others  then  threw 
me  into  a  fence  ditch.  Earl  then  seized  me  by  the  throat  saying,  "  you  damned 
old  American,  you  will  never  write  or  talk  any  more  about  people  that  have 
been  murdered."  Then  all  but  one  left  me,  and  held  a  private  conversa- 
tion on  the  other  side  of  the  road,  lasting  perhaps  an  hour ;  then  six  of  them 
came  back  and  Earl  said,  "  we  have  concluded  to  let  you  live  a  few  days,  if 
you  will  now  swear  before  us  that  you  will  never  divulge  what  has  been  done 
to  you  to-night  to  any  person,  and  go  within  a  day  or  two  and  settle  up  your 
tithing,  as  all  men  in  these  valleys  have  got  to  be  tithed.  We  have  declared  war 
against  the  whole  world,  and  at  any  time  we  can  put  you  aside  very  easy.  I 
did  promise  that  I  would  go  and  settle  my  tithing  that  they  required.  Then 
they  all  addressed  me,  one  by  one,  and  advised  me  to  make  friends  with  the 
Mormons  and  never  to  write  any  more  or  try  to  make  myself  as  one  of  the 
Gentiles.  They  then  left  me.  A  short  time  after  I  went  to  the  Bishop  and 
tried  to  settle  my  tithing.  The  Bishop  became  so  much  enraged  at  my  talking 
to  him,  that  I  could  not  settle  at  that  time,  and  I  never  tried  again  until  the 
spring  of  1858 ;  the  Bishop  then  appeared  in  a  very  good  humor  and  soon  told 
me  what  my  tithing  was.  He  did  not  take  my  note.  Suppose  he  forgot  it. 
Since  that  time,  which  was  about  the  time  the  army  came  in,  he  always  ap- 
peared very  hostile — sending  me  word  to  come  and  settle  up  my  tithings.  I 
always  told  the  men  he  sent  that  I  never  would  settle  the  tithing ;  that  I  had 
been  forced  by  duress  to  say  that  I  would,  in  order  to  save  my  life. 

(Signed)  Z.  F.  WARREN. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me,  this  26th  day  of  March,  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH,  Judge,  dec. 


55 

AFFIDAVIT  OF  ALVA  A.  WARREN. 

TERRITORY  OF  UTAH, 
Prove  City,  Utah  County, 
Second  Judicial  District. 

Alva  A.  Warren  being  duly  sworn,  says  as  follows :  I  am  twenty-two  years 
old ;  I  am  the  son  of  Zephaniah  J.  Warren,  I  came  to  Springville  with  my 
father  in  1852,  and  have  resided  in  Springville  ever  since,  and  reside  there  now. 
On  the  night  of  the  81st  of  August,  1857,  I  came  up  to  my  father's  house,  just 
as  two  men,  William  Johnson  and  Oliver  McBride,  were  bringing  my  father 
out  of  the  house.  My  father  asked  me  to  go  with  him.  I  said  I  would.  The 
two  men  said,  "  You  need  not  go — we  are  not  going  to  hurt  him."  1  went  till 
I  came  to  the  other  six  men,  and  then  William  Johnson  said  :  "You  can't  go 
any  further — We  are  not  going  to  hurt  him."  I  stopped  and  they  went  on  till 
they  got  opposite  to  Earl's  house,  and  I  heard  a  noise  that  I  thought  was 
father's  voice,  and  I  went  on,  down  to  where  they  were,  and  Lelie  Curtis  or- 
dered me  to  be  taken  back,  and  John  Curtis  came  and  took  me  back  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  where  they  were  then,  and  John  Curtis  and  my- 
self staid  there  till  they  came  back.  Then  father  and  I  went  home,  and  Wil- 
liam Johnson  and  Oliver  McBride  came  and  called  for  me,  and  I  went  up  with 
them  to  Earl's  house,  and  they  made  me  promise  never  to  say  anything  about  it. 

(Signed)  ALVA  A.  WARREN. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me,  this  26th  day  of  March,  1859. 

JOHN   CRADLEBAUGH, 

Judge,  &c. 


AFFIDAVIT  OF  JAMES  W.  WEBB. 

James  Wesley  Webb,  being  sworn  states:  I  lived  at  Springville  in  1857. 
I  lived  there  when  the  Parishes  and  Potter  were  killed.  The  morning  after 
they  were  killed  Daniel  Stanton  came  to  me  to  get  me  to  make  a  coffin  for 
Gardner  Potter.  About  three  months  aft«r  making  the  coffin  for  Potter  I  ap- 
plied to  the  city  council  of  Springville  for  pay  for  it  while  the  council  was 
in  session.  Wilber  J.  Earl,  a  member  of  the  council,  took  me  out  of  the  house, 
and  remarked  that  I  ought  not  to  have  said  anything  about  the  coffin  or  Potter 
then,  that  it  always  made  McDonald  feel  bad.  He  repeated  this  remark  to  me 
two  or  three  times,  as  if  to  impress  it  strongly  on  my  mind,  and  to  caution  me 
against  saying  anything  again  about  Potter  in  the  presence  of  McDonald. 
Alexander  F.  McDonald  was  present  in  the  council  when  I  applied  for  pay  for 
making  the  coffin  for  Potter.  I  do  not  know  whether  he  was  a  member  of  the 
council  or  not.  Alex.  F.  McDonald  has  been  Mayor  of  Springville,  and  I  think 
that  he  was  when  the  Parishes  and  Potter  were  killed,  though  I  will  not  be 
positive  about  this. 

J.  W.  WEBB. 

i 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  in  open  court,  the  30th  day  of  August,  1859. 

JNO.  E.  RISLEY,  Clerk. 


56 

CONFESSION  OF  ABRAHAM  DURFEE. 

TERRITORY  OF  UTAH, 

2e?  Judicial  District. 
Provo  City,  Utah  County. 

Abraham  Durfee,  of  his  own  free  will  and  accord,  and  without  being  influ- 
enced by  any  promise  of  any  kind,  by  any  person  whatever,  or  of  the  hope 
thereof,  now,  this  first  day  of  April,  A.  D.  1859,  comes  before  Judge  Cradle- 
bangh,  and  makes  the  following  confession,  viz  : 

I  am  thirty-four  years  old.  I  have  resided  in  Springville,  Utah  county,  U. 
T.,  since  the  spring  of  1851.  I  came  from  Iowa  in  1850.  In  Springviile  I  was 
farming  part  of  the  time,  and  part  of  the  time  attending  a  saw  mill  and  work- 
ing at  millwrighting. 

I  was  notified  of  a  council  by  Wilber  J.  EarJ  in  the  month  of  January,  1857  ; 
he  told  me  he  wanted  me  to  come  to  the  Bishop's  house  that  evening,  and  he 
said  there  would  be  others  there  at  the  room.  I  went,  and  there  were  a  num- 
ber of  persons  in  the  room  ;  it  was  in  the  upper  room  in  the  Bishop's  dwelling 
house,  in  Bishop  Aaron  Johnson's  house.  The  Bishop  was  there,  A.  F.  McDon- 
ald, Wilber  J.  Earl,  Abraham  Durfee,  Andrew  Wiles,  and  Lorenzo  Johnson, 
William  Bird,  and  Gardner  G.  Potter  and  Joseph  Bartholomew,  Simmons  Cur- 
tis and  Lorin  Roundy  were  there,  and  there  were  a  number  of  others  whose 
names  I  have  forgotten,  I  do  not  know  what  the  meeting  had  been  called  for ; 
there  were  matters  talked  of  concerning  people  going  away.  Some  individuals 
were  mentioned  by  the  Bishop  ;  he  stated  that  he  had  instructions  in  regard 
to  them.  The  Bishop  said  he  had  received  a  letter,  which  he  had  in  his  hand ; 
he  said  that  he  supposed  that  was  sufficient  for  us  to  know  ;  that  he  did  not 
wish  that  any  inquiry  should  go  any  further  back  than  to  himself.  He  stated 
that  there  were  some  individuals  at  the  Indian  farm  who  were  about  to  leave ; 
he  said  he  wanted  them  watched,  and  wanted  some  one  to  see  when  they 
would  leave ;  he  said  there  was  word  that  they  were  going  to  steal  some 
horses,  and  then  going  to  leave  the  Territory.  That  was  about  all  I  recollect 
that  transpired  that  night  The  understanding  was  that  the  persons  there 
were  to  watch  generally  for  persons  going  away, 

There  was  another  meeting  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  week,  or  longer — can't 
say  exactly.  I  was  notified  by  some  person  to  attend  that  meeting  ;  that  meet- 
ing was  held  at  the  same  place,  in  the  room.  It  was  some  three  weeks  before 
the  Parrishes  and  Potter  was  killed.  The  same  persons  were  at  this  meeting 
that  were  at  the  first  I  have  spoken  of.  N.  T.  Guyman  was  at  this  meeting ; 
Bishop  Johnson  presided.  There  was  something  mentioned  at  this  meeting 
about  the  Parrishes — that  they  were  going  to  leave  the  Territory.  The  Bishop 
said  there  were  some  demands  against  them,  for  debts  that  they  were  owing; 
he  did  not  state  the  bebts.  It  was  mentioned,  either  by  the  Bishop  or  Mc- 
Donald. I  don't  recollect  which,  to  have  some  one  to  find  out  when  the  Par- 
rishes were  going  to  start ;  they  nominated  or  named  persons  to  know  when 
the  Parrishes  were  going  to  leave.  My  name  (Abraham  Durfee)  was  men- 
tioned, and  I  objected  to  it;  then  they  mentioned  Potter's  name;  and  then 
the  Bishop  decided  that  both  Potter  and  myself  should  try  and  learn  when 
the  Parishes  were  going  to  leave  the  Territory.  The  Bishop  said  he  did  not 
wish  any  one  to  decline  when  he  was  called  upon.  I  then  told  the  Bishop  I 
would  do  the  best  I  knew  how,  and  Potter  assented  to  the  same;  I  can't  recol- 
lect that  Potter  made  any  reply. 


57 

There  was  considerable  talk  about  other  matters,  but  I  can't  recollect  what 
it  was.  I  saw  Potter  several  times  through  the  course  of  the  week  following. 
I  talked  with  Parish  that  week,  and  with  s  sveral  others  who  were  going 
away,  and  I  went — I  think  it  was  that  week — and  did  some  work  for  him. 
Parrish's  horses  were  not  mentioned  in  the  meetings  I  have  named. 

In  the  course  of  th'at  week  Parrish's  horses  were  taken,  and  Parrish  came 
over  to  see  me  in  the  morning ;  he  told  me  that  they  had  taken  all  his  horses ; 
he  wished  me  to  help  him  hunt  them  up.  I  went  with  him  to  his  house ;  we 
went  from  there  to  John  M.  Stewart's,  the  justice  of  the  peace;  he  got  out  a 
search  warrant,  and  went  to  find  the  constable,  Cyrus  Sandford.  He  was  not 
at  home,  and  I  went  back  to  the  justice's  with  Parrish  to  get  deputized  to 
serve  the  warrant,  and  the  justice  refused  to  do  it.  Parrish  and  I  went  back 
to  Parrish's  house,  and  Potter  came  up  to  Parrish's,  and  Potter  took  the  papers 
— I  mean  the  warrant ;  then  Parrish  and  Potter  started  for  Provo. 

That  is  about  all  that  transpired  before  the  next  meeting  that  was  held,  the 
evening  that  Potter  returned  from  Provo,  having  gone  there  after  the  horses, 
but  returned  without  them.  I  don't  think  I  was  at  this  third  meeting.  Potter 
told  me  that  he  went  to  the  meeting  after  he  returned  from  Provo.  He  told 
the  meeting  that  he  had  found  one  span  of  the  horses.  I  asked  him  what  they 
said  about  the  taking  of  the  horses  ;  he  said  that  the  Bishop  told  him  that  Par- 
rish or  his  son  was  owing  Bullock  something  in  regard  to  an  order  that  Par- 
rish's son  had  traded  to  Bullock,  and  that  he  (the  Bishop)  wanted  those  horses 
placed  where  they  belonged  to  answer  the  demand. 

That,  evening,  at  that  meeting,  "Wilber  J.  Earl  and  A.  F.  McDonald  were  ap- 
pointed to  go  and  tell  Parrish  that  he  should  not  receive  those  horses ;  this 
was  told  me  by  Potter.  Parrish  the  next  day  told  me  that  he  had  given  up 
all  hope  of  getting  his  horses,  that  they  were  gone.  Parrish  told  me  that  he 
had  seen  the  Bishop  and  he  had  agreed  to  have  the  horses  that  had  been  found 
at  Bullock's  in  Provo,  brought  back  and  put  into  the  custody  of  Cyrus  San- 
ford,  the  constable.  Parrish,  after  this  had  transpired  in  regard  to  the  horses, 
proposed  leaving  right  away ;  he  wanted  to  know  if  Potter  and  I  would  go 
with  him.  I  told  him  I  would.  Potter  said  he  would  go  too.  Parrish  made 
the  arrangements  to  start,  I  think  it  was  the  Saturday  before  the  murder,  I 
cannot  recollect  the  day  exactly ;  Potter  told  me  before  this,  a  day  or  two, 
that  they  arrived  to  bring  them  the  Parrishes  back,  if  they  started,  and  I  went 
to  Parrishes  the  next  Sunday  morning  and  they  had  not  gone  yet.  Parish  told 
me  then  that  he  had  expected  to  have  started  before,  but  the  police  watched 
the  house  so  closely  that  he  could  not  go  out  of  doors.  Parrish  said  he  wanted 
to  go  that  day,  or  that  evening;  but  he  said  he  could  not  get»his  things  out  so 
as  to  start  in  the  day  time.  Potter  came  into  Parrish  while  we  were  talking, 
and  he  proposed  that  he  would  take  Parrish's  things  out.  Parrish  got  some 
things  for  Potter  to  take  with  him,  some  gloves,  bridle,  a  gun,  some  tape,  and 
some  things  which  I  don't  recollect.  Parrish  took  the  gun  apart  and  gave  it  to 
Potter,  and  Potter  said  he  would  take  care  of  them,  and  bring  them  to  him. 

Parrish  proposed  that  he  would  start  out  in  the  daytime,  on  account  of  the 
police  and  he  wanted  me  to  go  with  him;  we  started  off  together,  and  when 
we  got  outside  of  the  house  I  asked  him  if  he  was  going  to  take  his  gun.  He 
said  he  would  like  to  have  his  gun,  that  he  had  given  Potter  one,  and  he  had 
another  one  in  the  house,  and  he  sent  me  back  to  the  house  to  get  the  gun,  and 
then  we  started  off  together;  we  went  up  the  street,  east  to  the  edge  of  the 


58 

city,  and  there  turned  south  and  went  to  the  east  gate.  After  passing  through 
the  gate  we  went  south  and  crossed  Hobble  Creek;  till  we  came  to  Dry  Creek. 
Fairish  stopped  then  and  said  he  would  stay  there,  and  asked  me  to  go  back 
and  bring  the  boys  Orrin  and  Beason,  out  to  him.  They  were  to  meet  on  the 
State  road  near  the  corner  of  the  fence,  they  were  to  meet  there  after  dark. 

This  was  a  little  while  before  sundown,  and  I  went  back  to  Parrish's  house 
and  told  the  boys  that  their  father  said  he  wanted  them  to  come  to  him  as  soon 
as  they  got  ready.  Potter,  while  I  was  there,  came  to  the  house  or  yard,  and 
wanted  to  know  of  me  which  way  we  were  going,  that  he  wanted  to  carry  the 
things  which  had  been  given  to  him  by  Parrish.  Potter  said  that  he  expected 
Parrish  and  his  boys  would  be  brought  back.  I  told  Potter  that  we  were  go-, 
ing  south  to  come  on  the  state  road  south  of  the  field.  Potter  then  started  off, 
and  I  went  into  Parrish's  house.  The  boys,  Beason  and  Orrin  got  their  things 
and  we  started  and  went  south  until  we  came  to  Centre  street,  then  we  turned 
west  and  passed  through  the  west  gate,  and  then  turned  south  until  we  came 
to  the  first  corner  of  the  city.  We  stopped  then  for  a  few  minutes  to  look  for 
some  things  that  I  had  left  there,  and  my  gun.  While  we  were  there  we  heard 
a  gun  fired ;  the  boys  asked  what  the  gun  was  fired  for,  I  told  them  I  thought 
it  was  Potter  or  their  father,  who  was  waiting  for  them ;  and  the  boys  said»  • 
then  we  had  better  go  on.  We  started  and  went  a  south-east  course  across  the 
field  till  we  came  to  the  state  road.  We  got  into  the  state  road  and  traveled 
south,  and  when  we  came  to  Dry  Creek  or  Dry  Hollow,  I  spoke  for  Potter.  I 
called  Duff!  and  no  one  answered.  We  traveled  on  until  we  came  near  the 
corner,  and  I  called  Duff  again,  I  think  twice.  I  heard  some  one  speak,  but  I 
could  not  tell  by  the  voice  who  it  was, — it  was  a  very  low  sound.  Just  as  the 
person  spoke,  there  was  a  gun  fired  near  the  corner  of  the  fence.  The  ball  hit 
Beason  Parrish.  I  and  the  two  Parrish  boys  were  walking  abreast,  I  was  near 
the  fence,  and  Orrin  was  next  to  me,  and  Beason  was  outside  near  the  middle 
of  the  wagon  track.  Beason  was  west  of  myself  and  Orrin,  and  the  shot  came 
from  the  south-east.  The  shot  struck  Beason  and  he  fell.  I  sprang  back  to 
the  right  and  Orrin  passed  behind  me.  I  spoke  out  at  the  time  but  I  don't 
recollect  the  words  I  said.  Beason  made  some  noise  after  he  fell.  Then  they 
fired  again  from  the  fence,  and  I  started  west  into  the  hollow  where  it  crosses 
the  street.  Orrin  started  back  north.  While  I  was  in  the  hollow  I  saw  some 
one  who  started  after  Orrin.  This  person  sprang  from  the  fence  just  as  I  was 
going  to  the  hollow.  As  he  came  into  the  street  partly  on  the  run,  he  shot; 
from  .the  flash  of  the  gun  it  appeared  to  be  pointed  north.  This  person  called 
me.  He  said  :  "Durfee,  you  need  not  be  afraid,  it  was  all  right."  He  staried 
then  right  on  towards  the  city.  I  got  over  the  fence  into  the  same  field.  We 
came  out  and  J  went  back  north  towards  the  city.  I  went  into  the  city  through 
the  south  gate.  After  I  got  into  the  city  this  man  that  I  saw  in  the  road  with 
the  gun,  came  to  me  and  said  that  he  had  done  the  job  ;  he  said  that  I  need  not 
be  afraid  of  him,  because  he  said  he  would  not  hurt  me.  This  man  was  Wil- 
liam Bird.  I  went  on  until  I  came  to  the  bridge,  and  met  Cyrus  Sandford  and 
told  him  there  had  been  some  shooting ;  that  I  believed  Beason  was  shot. 
Sandford  then  took  me  into  custody,  and  took  me  to  the  Bishop's  yard,  and 
called  for  the  Captain  of  the  police,  M.  Games,  and  delivered  me  into  his 
charge,  and  I  remained  there  till  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night. 

William  Bird  after  I  left  him  went  right  into  the  Bishop's  house.     Bird's 
cloths  were  somewhat  bloody.    I  don't  know  what  went  on  the  balance  of  the 


59 

evening.  Bird  washed  the  blood  off  his  clothes,  and  he  and  Wilber  Earl  went 
away  soon  together,  from  the  Bishop's.  I  saw  the  blood  on  Bird's  clothes. 
William  Bird  told  me  a  short  time  afterwards,  that  he  was  called  on  by  Potter 
to  go  out  there  with  him,  and  to  do  this  deed  that  had  been  committed ;  he  did 
not  tell  me  who  was  with  him  but  Potter  and  himself. 

Sanford  Fuller  a  month  or  two  after,  told  me  he  had  been  on  to  go,  but  did 
not  go.  He  said  Potter  had  borrowed  his  gun  to  go  with  Bird — told  me  that 
after  he  went  out  with  Potter,  that  Potter  went  and  found  Parrish,  and  that 
they  came  down  to  the  corner  together,  and  that  he,  Bird,  was  lying  in  the 
corner  of  the  fence.  He,  Bird,  said  he  shot  Potter,  as  Parrish  and  Potter  walked 
along  the  fence,  supposing  him  to  be  Parrish  : — that  after  he,  Bird,  had  shot, 
he  got  up  and  stepped  out  to  where  Parrish  stood,  and  Parrish  spoke  and  want- 
ed to  know  if  it  was  he  that  had  shot.  He  said  that  Parrish  had  his  gun  in 
his  hand  and  laid  it  down,  and  they,  Parrish  and  Bird,  clinched  together.  As 
they  clinched,  Bird  drew  his  knife,  and  worked  the  best  he  could  in  stabbing 
Parrish.  Bird  said,  after  Parrish  was  down  he  gave  him  a  lick  which  cut  his 
throat.  He  n^ver  said  anything  about  any  other  person's  being  there,  helping 
him.  Bird  said,  after  he  got  through  with  the  old  man,  he  took  Potter's  gun 
and  Ins  own,  and  got  into  the  corner  of  the  fence  again,  to  be  ready  for  us. 
He  said  he  laid  there  till  we  came  up — the  two  Parrish  boys  and  myself.  Then 
he  said  he  fired  and  he  saw  one  fall ;  he  said  he  was  afraid  the  one  he  had  shot 
would  run  off  and  he  fired  at  him  again. 

When  Orrin  and  I  started,  he  said  he  came  out  from  the  fence  and  shot  at 
Orrin ;  he  said  he  ran  me,  or  he  supposed  it  was  me,  when  I  ran  into  the  hol- 
low. He  asked  me  if  I  heard  him  call  for  me.  I  told  him  I  did.  He  wanted 
to  know  why  I  did  not  come  to  him.  I  told  him  that  I  did  not  like  to,  that  I 
did  not  know  what  it  meant  in  regard  to  their  shooting. 

The  next  morning  after  the  murder  I  heard  Bishop  Johnson  and  Bird  talking 
together,  and  he  blamed  Bird  and  Potter  for  not  going  further  away  with  them. 

The  Bishop  said  he  wanted  I  should  be  satisfied  about  the  affair,  and  not  tell 
who  was  in  it, — that  if  I  did,  they  would  serve  me  in  the  same  way.  I  did  not 
know  that  the  Parrishes  were  to  be  killed.  I  supposed  from  what  Potter  told 
me  that  they  were  to  be  brought  back.  In  the  second  meeting  which  I  attend- 
ed Bishop  Johnson  said  there  were  some  of  them  that  would  see  the  blood  run. 
It  was  William  Bird  that  called  me  Durfee.  Bishop  Johnson,  some  two  or  three 
days  before  this  murder,  told  me  to  take  a  gun  out  with  me. 

The  young  Parrishes  had  no  gun. 

About  three  weeks  or  a  month  after  the  Parrishes  were  killed,  Wilber  J.  Earl 
told  me  he  guessed  the  folks  now  would  think  he  was  a  true  prophet.  I  had 
some  idea  of  leaving,  but  I  did  not  expect  to  leave  with  the  Parrishes.  My 
object  in  going  out  with  the  Parrishes  was  to  get  them  clear  of  the  police,  out 
of  the  city.  When  I  was  put  in  Games'  custody  on  the  night  of  the  murder, 
Games  called  on  Ogias  Strong  to  keep  me  until  Games  got  some  other  person 
to  take  charg6|of 'me.  Games  left  me  and  went  off  about  other  matters. 

The  Parrish  boys  said  they  took  the  bridle  and  gloves  and  things  to  trade 
off  on  the  road  for  provisions. 

The  next  morning  when  the  hearing  of  myself  and  Orrin  Parrish  was  before 
John  M.  Stewart,  I  knew  that  Bird  was  the  man,  but  I  was  afraid  to  state 
it.  Bishop  Johnson  told  me  that  morning  what  evidence  I  should  give ;  and 


60 

he  said  if  I  told  what  I  learned  that  night,  they  would  send  me  the  same 
way;  I  stated  to  the  justice  what  the  Bishop  told  me  to  say. 

(Signed)  ABRAHAM  DURFEE, 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me,  this  1st  day  of  April,  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH, 

Judge,  &c. 

AFFIDAVIT  OF  THOMAS  o'BANNION. 
TERRITORY  OF  UTAH, 


City  of  Provo,  Utah  County,  j"  ** 

Thomas  O'Bannion,  being  duly  sworn,  deposes  and  says :  I  lived  in  a  room 
adjoining  the  Parrishes.  Parrish  didn't  keep  much  of  a  store,  but  sold  things 
to  persons  coming  there.  Horses  and  carriage  were  taken  a  few  days  before 
the  murder  ;  got  two  of  the  horses  back.  Parrish  told  me  three  or  four  days 
before  the  murder  that  he  had  had  a  terrible  dream,  and  should  be  murdered 
in  his  own  house  if  he  did  not  leave  soon  ;  wrote  on  a  paper  that  his  life  had 
been  threatened  by  Earl  and  McDonald.  One  the  night  of  the  murder  several 
persons  came  in  front  of  Parrishes ;  some  went  in.  I  heard  Games  ask  for 
Orrin ;  he  said  he  had  a  writ  for  him.  They  afterwards  came  into  my  house 
and  asked  for  Parrish  ;  I  asked  which  Parrish  ;  Games  replied,  "  any  Parrish." 
They  then  searched  my  house  and  granary.  H.  H.  Games,  Lehi  Curtis,  Moses 
Daley,  Sanford  Fuller,  Richard  Bird,  Henry  Rollins  and  William  Johnson  were 
there.-  Carnes  said  they  must  make  a  clean  sweep  or  search  of  it ;  said  he 
always  did  what  he  undertook.  My  best  recollection  is  that  the  words  used 
were,  a  clean  sweep  of  it.  Did  not  hear  of  the  murder  until  the  next  eve- 
ning. Went  out  of  town  to  work  in  the  morning.  Didn't  say  why  they 
wanted  Parrish.  Curtis  and  Fuller  appeared  excited  when  they  were  making 
the  search  ;  when  they  opened  my  granary  door  Fuller  cocked  his  gun. 

Moses  Daley  came  to  me  a  few  days  before  the  murder,  and  told  me  to  tell 
Parrish  if  he  did  not  settle  that  matter  between  Beason  and  Bullock  his  blood 
would  pay  the  debt.  And  further  deponent  saith  not. 

[Signed]  THOMAS  O'BANNION. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me,  this  1st  day  of  April,  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH,  Judge,  &c. 


AFFIDAVIT   OF   PHILLIPS. 

TERRITORY  OF  UTAH,        ) 
Provo  City,  Utah  County,  y  ss' 

Phillips,  being  duly  sworn,  deposes  and  says :    I  live  in  Provo.    On  the 

Sunday  night  of  the  murder  I  was  at  a  meeting  in  the  street  in  Provo.  Pres- 
sdent  Snow,  President  of  this  State,  and  others,  preached  from  a  wagon. 
Their  preaching  about  that  time  was  pretty  much  about  apostates  and  per- 
sons going  to  leave  the  Territory,  and  how  they  would  be  disposed  of.  After 
the  meeting  Pres.  Snow  inquired  if  there  was  anybody  going  to  Springville 
that  day.  A  man  by  the  namfe  of  Nethercot  said  he  was  going.  Nethercot 
went  up,  and  Snow  handed  him  a  letter,  and  told  him  he  wanted  it  to  be  de- 


61 
i 

livered  to  Bishop  Johnson  that  day  without  fail,  and  remarked  that  dead  men 
tell  no  tales.     Nethercot  took  the  letter.     And  further  deponent  saith  not. 
(Signed)  PHILLIPS. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me,  this  1st  day  of  April  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH,  Judge,  die. 


MURDER  OF  HENRY  JONES  AND  HIS  MOTHER. 

Affidavit  of  Nathaniel  Case. 

TERRITORY  OF  UTAH,  ) 
Cedar  County.       \  ss' 

Nathaniel  Case,  being  sworn,  says :  That  he  has  resided  in  the  Territory  of 
Utah  since  the  year  1850.  Lived  with  Bishop  Hancock,  (Charles  Hancock,)  in 
the  town  of  Payson,  at  the  time  Henry  Jones  and  his  mother  were  murdered, 
about  the  13th  of  April,  1858.  The  night  prior  to  the  murder  a  secret  council 
meeting  was  held  in  the  upper  chamber  of  Bishop  Hancock's  house ;  saw 
Charles  Hancock,  George  W.  Hancock,  Daniel  Rawson,  James  Bracken,  George 
Patten  and  Price  Nelson  go  into  that  meeting  that  night.  Meetings  had  been 
held  pretty  regularly  for  three  weeks  before  the  last  one  at  the  same  place.  I 
was  not  in  any  of  the  meetings ;  I  boarded  at  the  Bishop's.  About  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening  of  the  murder  the  company  gathered  at  Bishop  Han- 
cock's ;  the  same  persons  I  have  named  above  were  in  the  company.  They  said 
they  were  going  to  guard  a  corral,  where  Henry  Jones  was  going  to  come 
that  night  and  steal  horses ;  they  had  guns.  £»  .  ^^f. off  f  II^TJU"? 

I  had  a  good  Minie  rifle,  and  Bishop  Hancock  wanted  to  borrow  it ;  I  re- 
fused to  lend  it  to  him.  The  above  persons  all  went  away  together ;  I  don't 
know  what  time  they  got  back.  Next  morning  I  heard  that  Henry  Jones 
and  his  mother  had  been  killed.  I  went  down  to  the  dug-out  where  they 
lived  when  the  sun  was  about  an  hour  high.  The  old  woman  was  lying  on 
the  ground  in  the  dug-out  on  a  little  straw  in  the  clothes  in  which  she  was 
killed  ;  she  had  a  ballet  hole  through  her  head,  entering  near  the  center  of 
the  forehead.  In  about  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  Henry  Jones  was  brought 
there  and  laid  by  her  side ;  they  then  threw  some  old  bed-clothes  over  them,  and 
an  old  feather  bed,  and  then  pulled  the  dug-out  on  top  of  them.  The  dug-out 
was  built  on  level  ground — a  hole  about  twelve  feet  square  dug  to  the  depth 
of  five  feet,  a  ridge  pole  running  from  the  centre,  back,  three  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  ground ;  small  poles  are  then  laid  up  close  together,  running 
from  the  sides  up  on  to  the  ridge  pole,  so  that  the  dirt  won't  fall  through. 
The  dirt  taken  out  of  the  hole  is  thrown  baek  on  to  the  poles  for  a  roof,  and 
steps  cut  down  into  the  end  like  cellar  steps  for  entrance.  There  are  a  great 
many  such  houses  occupied  by  poor  people  in  this  county  who  are  not  able  to 
build  houses,  and  who  never  will  while  they  stay  here. 

The  next  Sunday  after  the  murder,  in  a  church  meeting  in  Payson,  Charles 
Hancock,  the  Bishop,  said ;  as  to  the  killing  of  Jones  and  his  mother,  he  cared 
nothing  about  it,  and  it  would  have  been  done  in  daylight  if  circumstances 
would  have  permitted  it.  This  was  said  from  the  stand  j  there  were  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  or  two  hundred  persons  present.  He  gave  no  reason  for  killing 

them.     And  further  saith  not. 

NATHANIEL  CASE. 


62 

Sworn  to  and  signed  before  me  this  9th  day  of  April,  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH, 

Judge,  &c. 


AFFIDAVIT  OF  ANDREW  8.  MOORE. 

TERRITORY  OF  UTAH,  } 
2 d.  Judicial  District,  >•  ss : 
Provo  City.      ) 

Andrew  J.  Moore  being  duly  sworn,  says  as  follows:  I  live  in  Pondtown,  in 
Utah  Co. ;  I  had  lived  there  only  a  few  days,  and  sometime  in  the  night  in 
the  month  of  April,  1858,  I  cannot  recollect  the  day  of  the  mouth,  there  was 
an  alarm  raised  in  the  night  between  12  and  2  o'clock.  Heard  the  alarm  to 
raise  the  Fort;  I  jumped  up  and  run  out  without  dressing.  I  saw  nothing  and 
went  back  into  the  house  to  dress  myself.  I  thought  at  the  time  it  was  a 
break  of  the  Indians.  After  dressing  I  went  out  again  and  Henry  Jones  had 
just  come  in,  and  I  went  to  where  the  people  had  gathered,  and  the  persons, 
two  or  three  men,  strangers  to  me,  were  just  taking  Henry  Jones  out  of  the 
fort.  I  did  not  go  outside  of  the  fort,  which  is  now  called  Pondtown,  until 
the  next  morning,  and  then  I  saw  Henry  Jones  lying  dead  in  the  middle  of  the 
road  about  eighty  rods  west  from  the  fort.  The  sun  was  then  about  an  hour 
high.  About  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  after  the  persons  left  the  fort  with  Henry 
Jones,  I  heard  the  report  of  a  gun,  I  think  I  heard  four  reports  inside  of  two 
minutes.  The  reports  were  in  the  direction  that  Jones  was  found,  and  ap- 
peared to  have  been  fired  about  where  the  dead  body  was  found.  I  saw  three 
bullet  holes  in  the  body  of  Jones,  two  of  them  were  in  his  side  and  one  of  them 
in  his  head.  The  report  was  that  the  persons  who  took  Jones  out  of  the  fort 
came  from  the  town  of  Payson,  which  is  about  three  miles  in  a  westerly  di- 
rection from  Pondtown.  I  was  not  acquainted  in  Payson;  I  had  gone  from 
Proyo  to  live  at  Pondtown  shortly  before  that.  I  do  not  know  anything 
about  the  mother  of  Henry  Jones  and  I  do  not  know  anything  about  the  burial 
of  Jones;  I  never  heard  of  any  inquest  being  held  on  the  body  of  Jones. 

(Signed.)  ANDREW  J.  MOORE. 

Sworn  and  subscribed  before  me,  this  29th  day  of  March,  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH, 

.    Judge,  &c. 

• 

AFFIDAVIT   OF   THOMAS   HOLLINGSHEAD. 

TERRITORY  OF  UTAH,  )  ss  . 
Utah  County.       )      ' 

Thomas  Hollingshead  being  duly  sworn,  says:  I  reside  in  Pondtown,  Utah 
County ;  was  iu  Pondtowto  the  time  Henry  Jones  was  murdered.  In  the  night, 
between  midnight  and  daylight,  a  year  ago  in  the  coming  April,  we  were 
alarmed;  we  supposed  the  Indians  had  made  an  attack  upon  the  outposts  of 
the  town.  We,  that  is,  affiant  and  his  sou,  and  others  jumped  up  and  ran  out; 
directly  we  heard  the  cry  of  murder;  when  we  got  out  into  the  yard  the  man 
came  up  and  said  they  were  after  him  to  kill  him;  said,  where  shall  I  go  I 
where  shall  I  hide  from  them?  About  this  time  his  pursuers  came  up.  He 
then  ran  there,  and  made  a  bolt  into  a  house  of  Mr.  Lycurgus  Wilson,  jumping 


63 

over  a  bed  where  a  woman  was  lying,  on  the  floor,  and  tried  to  secrete  him- 
self in  the  House.  Wilson  brought  him  out  of  the  house  ;  the  leading  man  of 
the  pursuers  said  "lay  hold  of  that  man!" — said  to  be  a  constable  from  Pay- 
son;  they  called  him  George.  I  have  since  seen  him;  it  is  George  W.  Han- 
cock; he  told  them  to  disarm  Jones,  Jones  had  a  pistol  and  knife  but  did  not 
offer  to  use  them.  He  was  disarmed — there  was  no  charge  in  the  pistol. 

I  noticed  blood  running  from  his  arm;  he  said  they  had  shot  him  in  the 
pursuit.  The  ball  went  through  his  arm  below  the  elbow  ;  one  or  two  per- 
sons came  up  with  George ;  I  never  heard  who  they  were,  it  was  kept  dark — 
nothing  said  about  it. 

Some  one  spoke  and  wanted  to  know  what  they  were  going  to  do  with  the 
man.  George  said,  I  know  what  I  am  going  to  do  with  him.  Some  one  said 
this  horse  stealing  has  got  to  be  stopped.  They  passed  out  in  the  direction 
of  Payson.  Payson  is  distant  two  miles. 

We  went  into  the  house  and  I  was  talking  the  matter  over  with  my  son ;  in 
about  fifteen  minutes  after  we  went  in  we  heard  the  report  of  fire-arms,  three 
or  four  shots  in  succession — appeared  to  be  pistol  shots  from  the  report;  at 
which  time  we  went  to  the  door.  About  five  or  ten  minutes  after,  some  one 
came  up  and  said  they  had  shot  the  man.  I  went  over  and  found  him  lying 
in  the  road;  two  balls  had  taken  effect  in  his  body  and  one  in  his  head.  The 
persons  who  had  him  in  custody  had  fled.  The  body  was  taken  away  in  the 
morning.  Report  says  that  the  mother  of  Jones  at  Payson  while  sitting  in  her 
own  house  at  the  time  these  persons  were  pursuing  Jones. 

THOMAS  HOLLINGSIIEAD. 

Sworn  and  signed  before  me,  this  29th  day  of  March,  1859.' 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH. 

Judge,  &c. 


AFFIDAVIT   OF   ABNER   M.    IIOLLINGSIIEAD. 

TERRITORY  oy  UTAH,  )  . 
Utah  County.  \  SS 

Abner  M.  Hollingshead  being  sworn,  says:  I  lived  at  Pondtown  at  the  time 
Jones  was  murdered.  Heard  unusual  noise  in  the  night;  went  out  of  my  house, 
stepped  back  aud  dressed.  Noise  approached.  A  person  entered  the  fort, 
stating  that  he  was  pursued  and  asked'  for  a  hiding  place.  Mr.  Leycurgus 
Wilson  asked  hLn  what  was  the  matter.  The  man  gave  no  satisfactory  answer. 
Two  men  suddenly  came  running  up  shouting,  arrest  that  rnan;  suppose  one 
of  them  to  be  George  W.  Hancock,  judging  from  his  voice ;  don't  know  who 
the  other  man  was.  The  two  men  took  the  other  out  towards  Payson,  the 
same  way  he  came  in.  Afterwards  heard  that  the  man  was  Henry  Jones.  Ten 
minutes  after  the  two  men  left,  heard  the  report  of  fire-arms  in  the  direction 
they  went,  heard  four  shots,  three  shots  in  quick  succession,  the  fourth  shot  a 
minute  later.  Heard  Hancock  was  an  officer  at  Payson  ;  saw  a  dead  body  next 
morning  about  eighty  rods  from  the  fort ;  the  body  was  taken  to  Payson.  No 
inquest  was  held  at  Pondtown;  no  person  called  to  give  evidence.  Body  was 
lying  in  the  road  in  the  direction  from  which  ]  heard  the  shots.  Saw -blood 
lying  in  the  road.  Occurred  in  spring.  I  am  a  farmer.'  At  that  time  but  part 
of  the  crop  was  in.  And  further  deponent  saith  not. 

(Signed)  ABNER  M.  HOLLINGSHEAD. 


64 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to,  before  me,  this  29th  day  of  March,  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH, 

Judge,  <fec. 


AFFIDAVIT  OF  AMOS  B.  MOOR. 

TERRITORY  OF  UTAH, 

Second  Judicial  'District, 

City  of  Provo. 

Amos  B.  Moor  being  duly  sworn,  says  as  follows:  I  live  at  Pondtown,  Utah 
county.  One  night  in  the  month  of  April,  1858 — can't  recollect  the  day,  an 
alarm  was  raised  in  the  fort,  and  I  was  awakened  by  the  guard.  When  I  got 
up  and  went  out  into  the  fort,  some  men,  can't  tell  how  many,  nor  who  they 
were,  had  just  taken  a  man  out  of  the  fort;  heard  afterwards  that  his  name 
was  Henry  Jones.  After  standing  there  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  I  heard  the  re- 
port of  a  gun  or  pistol  in  a  westerly  direction,  on  the  road  to  Payson.  I  judged 
the  distance  to  be  seventy-five  or  one  hundred  rods  from  the  fort.  I  heard 
four  shots  in  pretty  quick  succession. 

In  about  half  an  hour  after  I  heard  the  shots  I  went  out  in  company  with 
some  other  persons,  don't  recollect  their  names — to  see  what  was  the  shooting 
about  I  saw  a  man  lying  crossways  in  the  middle  of  the  road ;  he  was  dead ; 
it  was  Henry  Jones ;  I  was  told  that  was  his  name. 

I  don't  know  that  any  inquest  was  held  on  his  body;  I  heard  afterwards 
that  a  man  named  Hatch  took  the  body  to  Payson.  I  don't  know  anything 
about  Henry  Jones'  mother,  nor  about  the  burial  of  Jones.  I  had  just  a  short 
time  before  that  moved  to  Pondtown  from  Provo. 

I  heard  that  the  men  who  took  Jones  fr»m  Pondtown  had  come  from  Payson ; 
this  was  a  report  only,  I  knew  nothing  of  it  of  my  own  knowledge. 

I  went  out  again  at  daylight  and  saw  Jones  again ;  I  saw  two  bullet  holes, 
one  in  his  left  side  and  one  in  his  head.  I  did  not  go  close  to  the  body.  I  un- 
derstood that  Mr.  Hatch,  Jones'  step-father,  so  report  said,  came  when  the  sun 
was  about  an  hour  and  a  half  high,  and  took  the  body  to  Payson. 

(Signed)  AMOS  B.  MOOR. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me,  this  29th  day  of  March,  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH, 

Judge,  <kc. 


MURDER  OF  THE  AIKENS   AND   OTHERS. 

The  circumstances  of  the  murder  of  the  Aiken  party  is  as  follows  : 
Two  brothers,  Thomas  and  John  Aiken,  well  known  throughout  southern 
California.  A.  J.  Jones  well  known  in  the  State  as  "Honesty  Jones  "  and  three 
other  men  passed  through  Carson  Valley  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  1857.  Many 
of  my  constituents  recollect  the  party  very  well,  they  designed  joining  the  army 
in  Utah.  At  Carson  they  fell  in  with  a  party  of  Mormons  on  their  way  to  Salt 
Lake.  With  these  Mormons  they  traveled  to  the  Goose  Creek  Mountains, 
•where  hearing  of  the  hostility  of  the  Mormons,  and  the  halt  of  the  army  on 
Blacks  Fork,  they  left  the  Mormons,  and  to  avoid  trouble  and  delay  cut  across 


65 

the  country  leaving  Ogden  to  the  right  with  the  hope  of  reaching  the  army. 
The  Mormons  despatched  a  messenger  to  Brigham,  who  sent  after  them.  They 
were  arrested  without  difficulty  and  taken  to  Salt  Lake  City.  Two  of  them  were 
murdered  in  the  vicinity  of  Salt  Lake.  It  was  subsequently  arranged  that  the 
remaining  ones  should  be  allowed  to  return  to  California.  They  were  sent  off 
in  charge  of  Porter  Rockwell,  the  Danite  Chief.  They  had  with  them  about 
eight  thonsand  dollars  and  several  valuable  animals* 

The  following  affidavit  of  Alice  Lamb  tells  the  sad  story  of  the  fate  of  the 
last  of  them : 

TERRITORY  OF  UTAH, 
Jutab  County, 

Alice  Lamb  being  duly  sworn,  says  she  is  fourteen  years  of  age,  has  lived  in 
the  City  of  Nephi  for  two  years,  and  in  the  family  of  John  Anthony  Wolf, 
President  of  one  of  the  Church  seventies,  late  in  the  fall  of  1857.     Porter  Rock- 
well and  four  other  men  came  from  towards  Salt  Lake  City  about  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon  into  Nephi,  all  on  horseback,  it  was  on  Friday  they  stopped 
at  Mr.  Foots,  Mayor  of  the  city,  and  got  their  dinner.     They  all  left  on  the 
same  afternoon  on  the  road  to  California.     Porter  Rockwell  was  going  to  guard 
them  through  the  settlement.     Mr.  "Wolf  lived  right  across  the  street  from  Mr. 
Foots.     On  the  next  morning  Mr.  Foots  boy  Ceynes  came  over  to  Mr.  Wolf,  and 
asked  Mr.  Wolf  to  come  over  to  his  fathers.     Mr.  Wolf  said  he  was  sick,  and 
told  Ceynes  to  tell  his  father  to  come  over  there.     The  boy  left  and  shortly 
after  Mr.  Foot,  (Bishop,)  Jacob  Bigler,  brother  Bryant,  his  first  counsellor, 
Samuel  Pitchforth,  a  President  of  one  of  the  Seventies  came  over  to  Mr.  Wolfs. 
They  talked  about  two  of  the  men  that  had  went  through  the  day  before  with 
Porter  Rockwell.     Coming  back  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  they  talked  about 
two  of  the  men  bein*g  killed,  and  these  two  escaping  and  getting  back.     They 
talked  about  ten  minutes.'when  it  was  determined  to  take  them  up  to  Willow 
Creek,  about  eight  miles  north  of  here,  and  kill  them.     They  were  to  pretend 
to  the  two  men  that  they  were  a  going  to  take  them  back  to  Salt  Lake  City. 
Affiant  went  over  to  Mr.  Foots  in  the  morning  to  get  Mr.  Wolf's  paper.     Mr. 
Foot  is  the  Post  master.     Three  families  took  one  paper,  and  Mr.  Foot  wanted 
to  read  it  first.     There  was  a  great  many  people  there.     Saw  one  of  the  men 
there,  his  face  was  bruised  all  up,  his  nose  was  mashed  flat  to  his  face,  looked 
as  though  he  had  been  beaten  with  a  club  or  gun  barrel.     He  had  no  shoes  on 
and  his  clothes  were  all  torn.     The  mail  had  come  in  during  Friday  night,  and 
Mr.  Wolf  sept  me  early  next  morning  for  the  paper.     A  little  after  sun  up  the 
two  men  were  put  into  a  wagon.     James  Cook  and  James  Wolf  got  into  the 
wagon.     Porter  Rockwell,  Absalom  Wolf,  and  Horner  Brown  went  along  as  a 
guard,  on  horseback,  and  had  guns.    Started  towards  Willow  Creek.    All  came 
back  just  after  dinner  but  the  two  men  and  Porter  Rockwell.     After  they  got 
back  James  Wolf  said,  when  they  got  opposite  the  Mud  Corral  on  Willow 
Creek  the  two  men  did  not  want  to  go  down  to  the  Corral,  which  is  four  or 
five  hundred  yards  from  the  road.     We  told  them  they  must  go  down  and  get 
something  to  eat,  and  Reed  drove  down ;  and  after  we  got  there,  the  men  got 
out  of  the  wagon.     Our  men  fired  at  them  and  killed  them  both,  then  they 
dug  ajhole  near  the  creek,  and  not  far  from  the  Corral,  and  buried  them  both 
together.     Affiant  never  heard  their  names  mentioned.     Mr.  Foot,  the  people 
say,  h*s  an  ivory  or  pearl  handled  pistol  that  belonged  to  one  of  them.     And. 

5 


66 

Affiant  has  seen  him  most  ever  since  riding  a  horse  that  one  of  the  men  rode. 
Mr.  Foot  says  they  had  a  heap  of  money,  and  further  says  not. 

(Signed)  ALICE  LAMB. 

Sworn  to  and  signed  before  me,  this  30th  day  of  May,  A.  D.  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH. 
Associate  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court>  U.  S. 


MURDER  OF FORBES. 

The  New  York  Daily  Times  of  August  3d,  1858,  contains  the  following  cor- 
respondence from  Mr.  McNeill,  a  Gentile,  who  was  imprisoned  in  Salt  Lake 
city,  during  the  winter  of  '57  and  '58,  and  who  afterwards  brought  suit  against 
Brigham  Young  for  false  imprisonment,  and  was  himself  subsequently  mur- 
dered : 

"A  young  man,  (Forbes,)  whose  name  McNeill  does  not  remember,  came  here 
from  California  last  year,  and  went  to  board  with  a  man  named  Terry,  at 
Springville.  Some  time  afterwards  his  revolvers  were  stolen  from  the  house 
during  the  day  time,  and  his  horse  carried  off  from  the  field.  Terry  told  him 
that  they  had  been  carried  off  by  Indians.  On  a  Sunday  evening,  subsequent 
to  the  thefts,  Terry  started  for  the  church,  as  he  said,  and  the  young  man 
went  out  with  him,  which  is  the  last  time  he  was  ever  seen ;  and  the  next  day 
Terry  was  seen  riding  the  stolen  horse  about  town,  with  the  pistol  of  deceased 
in  his  belt" 

The  following  affidavit  explains  the  foregoing  statement  of  McNeill : 

Affidavit  of  Abraham  Durfee. 

TERRITORY  OF  UTAH,  ) 

Second  Judicial  District,  [  ss. 

Provo  City,  Utah  County.  ) 

Abraham  Durfee,  being  duly  sworn,  says  as  follows :  I  have  resided  in 
Springville,  Utah  county,  U.  T.,  for  about  eight  years.  In  the  latter  part  of 
January,  1858,  Wilber  J,  Earl,  came  to  me  in  Springville,  and  wanted  me  to  go 
with  him  to  assist  him  in  killing  Forbes.  I  told  him  that  I  could  not  go.  He 
wanted  some  of  the  boys.  He  said  it  was  orders  to  kill  Forbes  ;  did  not  say 
from  whom  the  orders  came.  He  wanted  me  to  come  over  to  the  north  gate 
the  evening  that  Forbes  was  to  be  killed ;  it  was  Saturday  that  he  was  telling 
me  about  it,  and  Fortes  was  to  be  killed  the  next  evening.  The  next  evening 
(Sunday)  I  went  over  to  the  north  gate  as  requested  by  Earl.  About  a  half 
an  hour  of  dark  Earl  and  Sanford  Fuller  came  with  Forbes ;  Wilber  J.  Earl 
ordered  me  to  stay  at  the  gate  ;  he  said  that  they  were  going  to  Provo.  I  staid 
at  the  gate  until  Wilber  J.  Earl  and  Satiford  Fuller  came  back,  which  was  about 
midnight.  They  said  that  they  had  got  rid  of  Forbes ;  that  was  about  all  they 
told  me  that  night.  About  a  week  afterwards  Wilber  J.  Eai»l  told  me  that  they 
had  killed  Forbes  down  on  Spring  creek,  about  half  way  to  Provo  ;  they  said 
they  shot  him ;  they  said  they  had  dug  a  hole  near  the  creek  and  put  him  in. 
I  don't  know  what  became  of  Forbes  property;  I  saw  Forbes  horse  at  Partial 
Terry's  since  and  before  Forbes*  death  ;  I  don't  know  how  Terry  became  pos- 


6T 

sessed  of  Forbes'  horse.  Both  Earl  and  Fuller  told  me  that  they  had  shot 
Forbes.  I  don't  know  where  Earl  or  Fuller  are,  or  either  of  them,  at  this 
time ;  I  saw  Earl  on  the  22d  inst.  at  last  at  Salt  Lake  city.  I  went  with  him 
from  Springville  to  Salt  Lake  city ;  we  parted  in  the  city  between  the  Temple 
black  and  the  Deseret  store,  and  I  have  not  seen  him  since.  I  saw  Fuller  last 
in  Springville,  two  weeks  ago  last  Saturday  in  the  evening. 

(Signed)  ABRAHAM  DURFEE. 

Sworn  and  subscribed  before  me  this  1st  day  of  April,  1859. 

JOHN  CRADLEBAUGH, 

Judge,  Ac. 

(See  also  Bartholomew's  testimony  as  to  the  death  of  Forbes.) 


HISTORY  OF  THE  DANITE  ORGANIZATION. 

In  the  excellent  work  of  John  Hyde,  jr.,  upon  Mormonism,  we  find  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  the  origin  of  the  Danites  : 

"When  the  citizens  of  Carroll  and  Davis  counties,  Missouri,  began  to  threaten 
the  Mormons  with  expulsion  in  1838,  a  death  society  was  organized  under  the 
direction  of  Sidney  Rigdon,  and  with  the  sanction  of  Smith.  Its  first  captain 
was  Captain  Fearnot,  alias  David  Patton,  an  apostle.  Its  object  was  the  pun- 
ishment of  the  obnoxious.  Some  time  elapsed  before  finding  a  suitable  name. 
They  desired  one  that  should  seem  to  combine  spiritual  authority  with  a  suit- 
able sound.  Micah,  iv,  13,  furnished  the  first  name,  'Arise  and  thresh,  0 
daughter  of  Zion ;  for  I  will  make  thy  horn  iron  and  thy  hoofs  brass;  and 
thou  shalt  beat  in  pieces  many  people ;  and  I  will  consecrate  their  gain  unto, 
the  Lord,  and  their  substance  unto  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth.'  This  fur- 
nished them  with  a  pretext;  it  accurately  described  their  intentions,  and  they 
called  themselves  the  '  Daughters  of  Zion.'  Some  ridicule  was  made  at  these 
bearded  and  bloody  'daughters,'  and  the  name  did  not  sit  easily.  'Destroying 
Angels'  came  next;  the  '  Big  Fan '  of  the  thresher,  that  should  thoroughly 
purge  the  floor,  was  tried  and  dropped.  Gen.  xlix,  1Y,  furnished  the  name 
they  finally  assumed.  The  verse  is  quite  significant:  'Dan  shall  be  a  serpent 
by  the  way,  an  adder  in  the  path  that  biteth  the  horse's  heele,  so  that  his 
rider  shall  fall  backward.'  The  'Sons  of  Dan'  (or  the  Danites)  was  the  style 
they  adopted.  Many  have  been  the  times  that  they  have  been  adders  in  the 
path,  and  many  has  fallen  backward,  and  has  been  seen  no  more. 

"  At  Salt  Lake,  among  themselves,  they  ferociously  exult  in  these  things 
rather  seek  to  deny  or  extenuate  them." 


